Gabriella's Return
by Angkeats
Summary: Part 3. They go to rival schools, met over their shared love of skating, learned to dance together; and to love...They were split for their summer and missed each other like crazy, but nothing is the same now Gabi's back...
1. Chapter 1

**Thank you for following my story! I've seen a few new reviewers along with my faithful followers and you are all amazing!**

**So here's the next bit…things never go easy for these two :)**

**Chapter 1**

"You're making pancakes? Really?" Troy whined, hugging her from behind as she busied herself at the kitchen counter.

"I've been practising all week," she chided.

"But I'm dying here…" He murmured, tickling the skin below her belly button with his finger.

His voice trickled a hot need though her body that she bit her lip to resist.

"I'm concentrating, Troy," she said softly.

"Three whole weeks…" He bemoaned dramatically.

"Do you know what my dad asked me about you?" She asked instead.

"No."

"He said, 'Does he pressure you?' Do you know what I said?" She asked again, turning when he didn't answer.

"I said, 'No, dad. He's awesome'." She repeated, staring him in the eye.

Troy pouted. "I'm being an asshole." He guessed.

She pressed her hands into his chest.

"I want you, Troy, okay?" She whispered. "I just…need some time to adjust back to normal life." She said.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to pressure you." He said softly as she turned back to her pancakes. He brushed her upper arm gently.

She twisted her face as she worked, her brown eyes worried where he couldn't see them.

"Would you still be with me…if we didn't have sex?" She asked honestly.

Troy's mouth opened and closed. He knew whatever answer he gave, she wasn't going to be happy with it. Something had clearly happened in Indianapolis that he didn't know about.

"You know I would." He said decidedly.

"Tell me why…" She asked, busy whipping her batter, not knowing why she was suddenly overcome with this doubt, these feelings.

"You're amazing! You make me laugh. I love how we skate together, how we _fit _together." He stated, reminding her of their conversation when she had told him she was going away. He took both her shoulders in his large hands as she continued to hide from him.

"You know when I was out there, I missed you. I really did." She poured some batter into the skillet and he stepped to the side where she peeked at him. "But I also discovered a new 'me'. A 'me' who's not all about sex." She explained.

"I thought you wanted to…you said the same…" He defended.

She touched his arm. "I know."

"I can't help that I find you sexy." He reasoned, taking in her sweat pants and t-shirt.

"I just need some time." She said again, flipping the pan, the pancake perfectly browned on one side. He was actually looking forward to trying the thing if they didn't have an argument before he got to eat it.

"I always swore to you, only if you want it, too. Do you not trust me anymore?" He wondered.

"I spent three weeks telling my dad just how much I _do _trust you." She said, shaking his breakfast onto a plate. "Here, try…" She gave him a fork.

He frowned, breaking off a piece of it with a fork. His eyes trained over her face which was alive with her bright, hopeful eyes. He took a bite, wincing as the taste wasn't quite as nice as he had expected.

"Wow…erm…yummy?" He guessed.

She pressed her lips together, disappointed.

"I failed again." She said sadly, turning off the stove, leaning against the counter dejectedly.

"Gabi you haven't failed _anything._" He stated, cupping her face, so confused as to what she was talking about.

"I've disappointed you. I can't even make pancakes!" She wailed.

"You haven't… oh my god, you haven't disappointed me, what are you _talking _about?" He wondered wildly.

She fiddled with her hands, distractedly.

"I don't think I want to stay here." Her voice was shaky. "I want to live with my dad."

--

Troy bounced the ball against the asphalt, his chest still hurting from Gabi's rejection.

He didn't get it, he really didn't get it. Before she had gone away- while she was away, even- everything had been fine. Why all of a sudden was she pushing him away?

The fact she had been abandoned by a father who had suddenly appeared might go some way to explain her confusion, but did she really feel the need to test him? After everything they had been through?

Maybe so.

Maybe she was afraid of losing her dad again and she was only naturally testing him, too. To see if he would stick around. He sighed as it all clicked into place.

He hadn't spent the last three weeks missing her heart for her to just throw it all away with some stupid misconception that he was only in it for the sex. He thought she would know that better than anyone. She was his _first _for god's sake. Didn't that tell her in any terms just how much she meant to him?

Maybe she missed her dad, too. Three years of nothing followed by three weeks of what he suspected was some pretty intense bridge-building. And then she had been whipped back home, supposedly happy at this.

Which she was, he knew, in no small part due to him.

But she had come back and straight away he knew things were different. For her to instigate the hugging instead of him was an absolute break through.

But it should also have signalled to him a more vulnerable Gabi, one he didn't know about because he had never seen this side of her. And he had gone and demanded sex, falling back into their old pattern.

He closed his eyes, cursing his stupid body, his stupid mouth. She might have been more than happy with that before her life-changing trip but now, she wasn't. Now she needed him to be supportive and be a good boyfriend. She just needed him to be there.

And this was his time to prove that he could fulfil that need for her.

He tucked the ball under his arm and jogged off, deep in thought.

--

"Is there _any _more laundry?" Julia asked lightly of Gabi as she lay in her room, quiet for her usually active child.

"I think Troy's going to dump me." Gabi said outright, not moving from her sprawled position.

"Oh. But you just got back." Julia frowned, moving more fully into the room.

"I've changed. I don't think he likes me now." She sulked.

"Honey, you haven't changed that much." Julia soothed.

"I told him I want to go live with dad." She added, her chest tight with fear at her mom's reaction.

"Oh." She said softly, then again, "Oh." In a more sad tone.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that, I just…" Gabi sat up to explain then broke off.

"You miss him." She guessed and Gabi nodded.

"If I'm here I miss dad. If I'm there, I miss Troy." Her young face looked pained and Julia wondered briefly if that were her fault. Perhaps she should have sheltered her daughter from this hurt of missing someone she loved?

"I'm sorry, too." Julia offered, touching her leg gently where she lay on the bed.

"Oh, no, mom." Gabi shook her head. "This is not your fault. This is…life." Gabi said wisely.

"Do you…" Julia closed her eyes, taking a breath. "Do you want to live with him for a bit?" She offered of her father. "See if you want to make it permanent?"

Gabi knew the sacrifice her mom was making with her words and it made her want to cry at the gesture she was making.

"I'm so confused right now, mom, I don't know what I want. I just need some time." She said, tears falling that were so uncharacteristic that Julia immediately went to hug her.

"You take all the time you need, honey. And whatever your decision- whatever you choose- I'll support it, one hundred per cent." She promised.

Gabi nodded and let go of her, taking a breath.

"I'm gonna go for a skate." She said and rolled up, going into her closet.

--

"Who is that? Wait, is that Gabriella Montez?" Taylor asked, squinting at Gabi as she skated into the coffee shop, black curls bouncing behind her.

"Taylor!" She screamed, hugging her friend.

"Did you get cuter?" Taylor asked.

Gabi smiled. "No."

"I love your outfit." She complimented.

Hot pants, white vest and Troy's red check shirt.

"I stole this from Troy." She said of the shirt.

"I missed you, girl." Taylor admitted.

"I missed you, too." Gabi allowed. "But I had an awesome time at my dads."

"Really, do tell."

"I kinda want to go back." She sighed.

"What did you do?"

"I washed cars and hung out." She shrugged.

"Wow, fascinating!" Taylor teased.

"I actually had so much fun." She said softly.

"How's Troy?" Came her next question.

"Uh… well actually we kinda had a fight…" Gabi offered.

"_What_?" Taylor's tone was one of pure shock.

"I know…" Gabi bit her lip.

"Sit down, I have to have a full fat hot chocolate to listen to this and I'm getting extra cream whether you like it or not." She arched her brow.

Gabi watched her friend march up to the counter and sighed.

"Sure, I'm already five pounds heavier, why not a couple more?" She murmured to herself.

"There's a party, Friday night, at Max's" Taylor supplied as they started their second round of sugary drinks, chocolate brownies now joining the mix.

"Max? But he's at East High…" Gabi frowned.

Taylor shrugged. "People are mixing…he invited us and some of the Arrows."

"Wow…" Her eyes were huge, like she felt like a big rift had been closed.

"Yeah, I guess you and Troy helped make this happen." Taylor commended.

"What kind of party is it? I bought this _amazing _dress in Indianapolis…" Gabi began.

"Pool party." Taylor cut in, quashing her enthusiasm.

"Oh darn. Oh well." She shrugged. "I'll keep it for Christmas break or something."

"I have this zebra print bikini that I'm gonna showcase." Taylor smiled.

"Taylor McKessie!" Gabi admonished, not knowing her friend had this exhibitionist side to her.

"What are you wearing?" She asked back.

"I don't know…normally I would go in something completely revealing to impress Troy but I don't even know that he'll be there." She sighed sadly.

"Honey, you don't need to impress him even if he is." She said softly.

"I have these cute hot pants I got while I was away…" She began.

"Now we're talking!" Taylor smiled and Gabi tried a shaky smile back.

--

"Did he hate your pancakes? Because if that's the reason you're calling me then I'm coming down there right now…" Daniel warned, hearing his daughter's shaky tone.

"No, he didn't _hate _them. He lied and said they were yummy." She answered, cradling the phone as she curled on the sofa.

"So what's up, baby girl?" He asked instead, relaxing at the kitchen doorway with his phone, the small space seeming empty without her to fill it with her stories.

"We had a fight." She stated, testing his reaction.

"What about?" He asked carefully, taking a breath, knowing this was his chance to be a proper dad to Gabi at last. He was so ecstatic that she had even chosen to call him that he almost missed her explanation.

"About…about me wanting to maybe come and stay with you." She shared.

"Oh." He said, just like her mother. "Well, okay, I can see he'd be upset at the thought of losing you…" He offered, trying to put himself in Troy's position, which was ultimately the same as hers when she had left Albuquerque.

"But I let him down. I didn't even make the pancakes properly. And then I feel like I'm betraying him by saying I want to come back." She explained.

"Did you tell him that, baby girl?" He enquired, still completely unsure what to say, or if he was helping at all.

"Not really. I kinda just sent him away." She admitted.

"Oh, now don't worry. You can call him back." He said.

"Do you think he'd let me?" She ventured.

"Let you? I think he'd thank his lucky stars…well he would if he knew what was good for him…" He muttered.

"Thank you, dad." She said gently and he smiled, knowing he had helped, though he wished to god he knew how so he could remember for next time.

"I told you, I'm always here." He re-iterated.

"I mean, thank you for not making a big deal out of me maybe coming back –or not." She added.

"That's what dad's are for, right?" He asked himself as much as her.

"Say 'hi' to Tom and Henri for me." She said before she dialled off.

"Will do, goodbye, baby." He smiled, placing the phone down.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone, thanks for the comments!**

**Sorry this is a short one, Hope you like it :)**

**Ang **

**Chapter 2**

"Gabriella Montez?" Troy asked softly, appearing from her back door with a searching look, his hands taken up with his skateboard, which he placed on the veranda; and a bunch of flowers that he carried nervously.

She was lying on her hammock in her sweats and her Bears t-shirt but she looked amazing, her dark hair tied up, her small body laid out.

She smiled, about to get up and hug him, so glad that he had responded to her text request to see him. She was regretting how he had left; how she had sent him away.

"Don't move…" He said, coming over, kneeling in front of her with the flowers.

"Troy…" She began, her budded lips pressing together as she sat forward in the hammock.

"Shh," he said, watching her soft smile as she took the bouquet from his hands.

"They're beautiful," she whispered.

"I want to court you- properly. Do everything like we should have. No sex, I promise." He vowed.

She shook her head. "You don't need to do that."

"What then? Whatever it is you want, I'll do it." He promised.

She leaned forward, hugging him around the neck.

"I just want you to hold me." She said against his shoulder as he curled his arms around her back, so relieved that she was touching him that he felt his chest cave with the breath he let out.

"I can do that." He whispered. "I can do that."

She pulled away, gesturing for him to sit in the hammock and he sank next to her where her small body curled into his.

"I think my dad made me see things differently." She said against his chest.

"You need to talk to me; you need to tell me this stuff." He said gently, cupping her shoulder, his other arm crossing over his front and bracing her forearm that lay against his torso.

She nodded against him.

"Do you think…do you think you can still like me?" She looked up, her eyes lined with dark flicks.

"Like you?" He smiled bemusedly, his mouth curling at the edges. "Gabi I fell in _love _with you ages ago. I don't think I can go back to liking you." He said honestly.

"Wanna go for a skate?" She asked. "I'll let you touch my butt." She offered and he chuckled.

"I'm not gonna touch your butt." He solemnly swore.

"Never?" She pouted.

"Not until you know I love you." He amended, standing up and holding out his hand.

Gabi cocked her head, thinking he was just kidding when he said he wanted to court her. He actually seemed kind of serious.

"I know that." She assured him as he took her hand and helped her up, placing it in the crook of his arm as they walked toward the house.

"Just let me do this." He begged, flicking his blue eyes across to hers.

She nodded, not entirely what she was agreeing to as they went inside to search for her roller boots.

--

'_Dear Tom_

_I have only been back home for two days and I miss you already. And I kinda miss car washing, too._

_Me and Troy had a bit of a fight but now he's decided he's going to court me which is kinda cute but kinda weird too…_

_How's Tammi? Have you been on lots more dates?_

_How's my dad? I hope you're taking care of him…and I need you to help me._

_We have to get him and Henrietta together. She owns the boutique in Riverford and I bought out most of her stock…anyway, she's perfect for him and I can't matchmake them from Albuquerque so you have to help me. _

_Tell me you will?_

_I'm going to call you at the end of the week to talk about it. I've got a party to go to before then so I'm still choosing my outfit._

_Hope you're having fun!_

_Gabi xx_

_p.s Troy didn't like the pancakes either…I really need to get dad to show me those again ____'_

Gabi posted the letter and skated to the park, surprised to see Brenda and Ben there from the pool party, along with some other 'Arrows' it would seem.

"Hey Gabi!" Brenda called.

"Hey, Brenda." Gabi glided over, stopping in front of the group perched on the bench.

"What you up to?" She asked.

"Oh not much, Troy is coming down with Max and some boys to shoot hoops. I'm just hanging out with them." She shrugged.

"Cool, maybe the boys can have a five on five…" Brenda suggested to the boys behind her.

"Yeah and we can discuss important things like outfits for the party!" Gabi suggested.

"Exactly!" She agreed.

Troy ambled over with his friends, seeing Gabi sat up on a bench at the side of the court, hanging out with Brenda and Ben.

"Hey, beautiful." He greeted, not caring who heard him and at least two of the boys made a 'whoa!' kind of noise.

He grinned knowingly, a blush tingeing his cheeks but he fronted it out.

Gabi stood up, wrapping her arms around his neck and in the process, bringing her body close to his where he gently placed his hands at her waist. A curvier waist he noted. He smiled, dodging her kiss gently.

"Ah-ah." He said softly. "We've not even been on a date yet." He said seriously.

"What?" She asked forlornly, her smiled dropping as she pulled back.

"Gabriella Montez, would you do me the honour of escorting me to Max's pool party?" He asked cutely and she rolled her eyes.

"Oh dude, you are _whipped_!" Ben stated, slapping Troy on the shoulder before he joined the boys warming up by shooting hoops.

"He's right." Troy agreed to Gabi and the girls who had congregated at the bench audibly cooed.

"I'd love to go to the party with you." She smiled, letting him go.

"Awesome, pick you up at seven." He grinned, turning to jog off.

Gabi tilted her head, admiring the back view of her boyfriend. He turned instinctively, bemusedly twisting his mouth.

"Are you checking me out?" He asked.

"Mm-mm" she nodded with an unapologetic smile, folding her arms and giggling as he closed his eyes and pressed his lips together, whispering to himself.

"You are surely going to be the death of me, Gabriella Montez." He muttered as he joined the group, a few friendly shunts coming from his team mates as they teased him about his show of affection for his girlfriend.

--

"Goodnight, beautiful." Troy said, depositing Gabi at her door with his insisted escort method of her holding his elbow.

"Can I at least kiss you goodnight?" She pined.

"Nope." He shook his head smiling.

She leaned toward him. "But you want to, I know you want to…" She teased.

"I don't care how much I want to. We're doing this the proper way, Gabi." He insisted and she pulled back, not used to not getting her own way but also kind of respecting his will power.

"Fine, ok. Love you, boyfriend." She said and turned to go into her house.

"Love you more." He said behind her and she paused at his cheeky remark, turning to smile felinely over her shoulder as she walked into her house, her hip sway returning as she thought of how she was going to enjoy knocking Troy off his mission to resist her.

--


	3. Chapter 3

You have to check out this story! --Diary of a Nerd by Crystalbluu.

I have just finished reading it and it is obsessively good, it has over 1500 reviews and I aspire to write this well, one day :)

**Chapter 3**

The hot pants were definitely cute. The wedges definitely defined and showcased her toned legs to best advantage. The top she was having trouble with.

The black shirt that Henri had sold her was nice, but not right for a pool party. Gabi bit her lip, staring at the many bikinis sprawled on her bed.

A tiny idea flickered at the back of her mind as to something she could wear to drive Troy insane.

He loved it when she wore his clothes and she was in possession of a few of his things now.

His t-shirt, with a little alteration, could act as a cropped top, showcasing her belly- his favoured touching spot she mused- and covering up her chest until she chose the right moment to reveal her bikini.

Her hottest bikini. Now all she had to do was decide which one that was.

--

"Gabi, telephone!" Julia called up the stairs.

"Okay, coming!" She called back and padded down, frowning.

"Hey I got your letter!" Tom said happily.

"Hey! I was going to call you…" She chided.

"I know." She heard his shrug. "But I thought I'd surprise you!"

"That's good, because you do not know how much I need a boy's opinion right now."

"Oh god." Tom groaned.

"Shh!" She giggled. "Look, I'm going to a pool party. _As a boy _would you prefer a girl to be wearing a black bikini or a red bikini?" She wondered, divided between going with Troy's team colour and the traditional black bikini, in her opinion slightly bond-babe like.

"Wow…" He blew out a breath, trying to think from Troy's point of view. "Actually…" He gave up on that, giving her his honest opinion instead.

"Yes?" She said eagerly.

"I'd find it totally intimidating if a girl was in a sexy bikini. If I was hanging with Tammi, I'd like if she was just wearing a pretty flowery dress or something." He admitted.

"Think sexy, Tom!" Gabi demanded.

"I'm no good at fashion!" He objected.

"It's not about fashion." She said, realising she was asking too much of him because his answer was actually very sweet.

"How's the cooking going?" He checked then.

"I haven't done any, I've been too busy." She admitted.

"Well that's something; the people of Albuquerque are safe." He joked.

"Ha-ha."

"I better let you get ready for your party…" He led.

"Ugh, yes because I still have no clue what to wear." She sighed.

"Gabi…wear whatever you like. If he can't see your beauty then he must be blind." Tom said softly and Gabi appreciated her friend's words.

"Oh, he will." She said knowingly and bounded back up to her room.

--

Hand in hand with Taylor, a baseball cap adorning her head and holding up her curly hair, Gabi walked into the pool party with her knowing confidence burning quietly inside her.

It was still dimmed, faltering even, but she was about to prove to herself that it didn't matter how she dressed, Gabriella Montez was worthy of attention.

She had stuck with her original plan, her favoured hot-pants. She didn't want to completely lose her trademark look. But she had ditched the heels, found some cute black sparkly flip flops in her wardrobe and put them on, along with Troy's t-shirt that she knotted around her midriff, hinting at her belly.

Underneath, if she decided to swim, she was wearing modest black swim shorts and her Bond bandeau bikini top which had stringy ties around the neck halter style.

"Gabi I love how you rock the pool." Brenda complimented as Gabi smiled at her, wondering if she was being cute.

"I'm not." She argued.

"Seriously? You do that 'wearing my boy's clothes' thing so well." She assured and Taylor smiled knowingly.

"Brenda, meet Tay, my best friend. Tay, this is Brenda, my partner in crime" Gabi arched her brow as Brenda nodded at the description.

"Go find a lounger; I have sexy pool boys serving drinks…" Brenda supplied, winking.

Gabi smiled, leading her friend by the hand to the side of the pool, perching on a lounger where Taylor joined her and they sat up on their legs together.

"Seriously, how depressing is it that this is the End of Summer party?" Gabi pouted to her friend.

"Too depressing. I want to be back in Santa Monica." Taylor sighed.

"I know, I have to get cheer routines organised…" Gabi bemoaned.

"Hello ladies…" Came a warm voice and Gabi looked up quickly, shocked to see Troy dressed as one of the 'pool boys'.

The uniform seemed to consist of board shorts and nothing else.

Her gaze was immediately drawn to his chest, tanned, muscled to pretty much perfection, his arms promising a strong hold that she ached to experience again.

"Troy what are you doing?" She asked blankly.

"I'm serving drinks…" His brows drew together as if this was obvious.

"You're half naked." She stated.

He laughed. "Yeah, it's a pool party, go figure!"

"Cute." She said, and then pressed her lips together. He was blatantly teasing her. The same way she had planned to tease him only he seemed a whole lot more practised at this than her. Which disconcerted her slightly.

"What can I get you to drink?" He asked.

"I'll have a …" Taylor began

"Are you serving other girls?" Gabi demanded, cutting her off and both her friends looked at her, but only Troy's mouth was twitching with amusement.

"Are you jealous?" He asked in a warm, kind voice that just annoyed her deep down. How dare he condescend her?

"No." She denied quickly.

He lifted his brows, turning back to Taylor.

"I'll have a coke, please." Taylor recounted.

"And you, ma'am?" He smoothed, his voice making Gabi clench intimately.

"Same, please." She said coolly.

"If I'm not out of place saying this…" He said, role-playing to expert degree, "…you are the most beautiful girl here." He said and disappeared with a warm smile, one that anyone else wouldn't have been able to read.

But Gabi knew exactly what that smile was. He knew he had got to her and he knew he had turned her on, with just his look, his presence. And that just made her even more determined to make him break first.

He wanted to play this stupid resistance game? He didn't know what he was up against she mused, laying back and planning her strategy.

--

"Hey girls!" Max greeted them as they reclined.

The sun was hot so Gabi had lost the cap, letting her hair fan out as she laid front up to the sun.

"Hey Max!" Taylor and Gabi called back at the exact same time.

"Where's the man then?" He asked Gabi, confused at seeing one half of the famous couple without the other in immediate tow- especially if they weren't intertwined.

"I have no idea." Gabi shrugged.

"Did you have a fight?" Max asked next and Taylor shook her head quickly as if to warn him not to ask.

Gabi sat up, smiling pleasantly. "A fight?" She questioned and Max looked worried.

"Yeah…um…"

"No, because if we had a fight that would mean we weren't actually talking…whereas this punishment is far worse…" She muttered, flipping over as she spotted Troy coming their way, making sure he had a perfect view of her backside and the back of her bikini now that she had taken off his t-shirt.

"Hey ladies…" Troy said as he approached. "Need any refills?" He checked and Taylor shook her head.

"Max." He said as Gabi continued to ignore him, face down on her lounger, baring her jean-short clad backside to him where he squinted his eyes and let his gaze travel up the length of her body, dipping in at her waist, flicking over her small shoulders, eventually dropping back down to her perfectly formed derriere. She had definitely gained some weight he noted, it suited her curvy figure even more than usual and he couldn't wait to get his hands on her again.

"Miss. Montez." He said, lifting his brows at the other two when she didn't respond.

He looked to Taylor. "Is she…?" He mouthed, tipping his head to one side, laying it on his hands, mimicking sleep.

"No, I think she's just ignoring you." Taylor supplied.

"Ig…" He looked surprised. "Ignoring me, huh?" He mused, putting his hands on his hips as he twisted his mouth to one side mischievously.

"Fancy a dip?" He asked, scooping her into his arms where she squealed and batted at him and he chuckled, taking a running jump at the pool and landing them both in the middle where she spluttered angrily.

"What in the heck was that…" She searched for a suitably insulting name for him. "…Bolton?" She accused, taming her wet hair back as he trod water and he smiled into her angry face.

He shrugged. "You were ignoring me."

"Way to go to get me to speak to you, huh?!" She fumed, trying to swim for the edge.

"Gabi…" He said, sighing, seeing his plan to make her laugh had backfired.

"Don't touch me." She warned, just like the very time he had found her dancing.

"Hey, beautiful…" He called again, knowing he had really annoyed her now.

"You!" She pointed to a blonde boy, one she recognised from the pool party. "Help me out would you please?" She asked as Troy swam behind, feeling helpless.

"Hey, I'll help you…" He objected.

She merely flicked him a cool look as the blonde boy hesitated. "I'm ok, thanks."

The boy took this as signal to continue and swam her to the edge of the pool, even going as far to help her out as Troy climbed out after her.

"Talk to me…" He begged.

"I can't swim, Troy." She said simply, closing her eyes and shaking her head as she didn't even need to elaborate on her words, stalking away into the house and leaving him deeply regretting his actions.

How did he not know that? She had been in the pool before at the pool party but he remembered now; she had told him she wasn't a water baby. She had struggled to swim. And she had got that boy to escort her before. And he had helped her in.

He sighed, realising he had stepped over the line this time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for the honest comments, as always :)**

**Sorry if the chapters are short, I split this up ages ago no idea what I was thinking haha!**

**Chapter 4**

Finally relieved of pool-boy duties, Troy headed inside, not taking long to find Gabi, predictably surrounded by boys as she sat on the kitchen worktop in her bikini, a towel wrapped around her shoulders, soaking up the moisture from her hair that glistened with dampness.

He stopped in the doorway, tipping his head, realising her absolute beauty. Bare of make up, jewellery, gimmicks and everything. She still took his breath away as sure as the sun rose every day.

She was telling them about some kind of road trip she had taken with her father in the summer, how they had gone for ice cream in the middle of nowhere.

He joined the worshipping crowd, crossing his arms, feeling some of the crowd falling away as they spotted him, recognising him as Gabi's boyfriend.

She looked up then, catching his eyes, the blue glint unavoidable just like his muscled body, his raw physical presence.

Her brow arched as she paused her story- telling, her previously swinging legs stilling and he traced the delicate arch of her feet.

"Are we being stalked by a Wildcat?" She asked no-one in particular.

"_You_ are." Troy agreed, smirking.

"Oh, how nice." She feigned, rolling her eyes. The group of boys bid their farewells, leaving her with just one boy. One audience member.

One she was having trouble resisting. And even more trouble avoiding.

"Dance with me." He said softly, holding out his hand.

"That's not part of the plan is it?" She asked coolly.

"I promise not to bite." He said slowly, huskily, only for her ears.

She shivered with the awareness it instilled in her. Her lips parted but she couldn't think of words, her mind seemed to be blank. He was closer now, too close she frowned.

"I might growl though…" He added, in front of her now, not touching, but his heat was seeping into her skin. "…But only if you ask nicely." He added with a smile, his blue eyes flicking up to hers alight with something that had her longing for him, in ways she didn't even want to imagine because she knew she wouldn't be able to fulfil her fantasies.

Not while he insisted on being a gentleman anyway. She sighed. She didn't suppose a dance would hurt.

"Okay." She murmured, taking his hand and she slid from the counter top, steadied by a hand that met her waist and moved again just as quickly.

She was led through to the dance floor inside which was mainly empty as the party-goers enjoyed the sunny evening.

"Here…" He said softly, rolling up a tee shirt and holding for her where he let her pull it over her head and she looked down on the logo.

"Is this yours?" She checked and he nodded. "You should wear one, too." She argued, not understanding how she was supposed to resist his nakedness anymore than he could hers.

"Okay…" He said, vanishing upstairs and returning with an orange top.

"Bright." She smarted.

"Yeah, okay." He rolled his eyes, smiling, taking her into a dance embrace, showcasing his new moves.

She tipped her lips upside down. "Pretty good, Wildcat." She allowed.

"I worked real hard." He said, looking at his girlfriend, seeing her face flicker mixed emotions.

"I'm sorry I jumped into the pool." He said softly, his eyes staring right into hers, their dark depths swirling unsurely.

"Can we slow dance?" She asked back, tipping her head.

"I suppose that would be okay…" He allowed, taking her closer, his hands tenderly cupping her back as she stretched her arms to his neck, playing with his damp, messy hair.

The music changed, a song that Gabi loved coming on and she couldn't resist singing along, leaning into Troy, letting him support her.

"#If I were a boy

Even just for a day  
I'd roll out of bed in the morning  
And throw on what I wanted and go

Drink beer with the guys  
And chase after girls  
I'd kick it with who I wanted  
And I'd never get confronted for it  
Cause they stick up for me

If I were a boy  
I think I could understand  
How it feels to love a girl  
I swear I'd be a better man  
I'd listen to her  
Cause I know how it hurts  
When you lose the one you wanted  
Cause he's taking you for granted  
And everything you had got destroyed#"

She sang the words like she owned them and he felt his heart breaking at her meaning, at her pain.

"I'm sorry, beautiful girl." He whispered, hugging her into his body when he could no longer resist comforting her and her small body fit there so well he just couldn't imagine it not being her, her not being here.

"He would have taught me, if he was here." She said of her father, pulling away. "I kinda missed the school lessons and I never got to take them again."

They went back to their dance, the music softly wrapping around them, encasing them away from the party, in their own private bubble.

#If I were a boy  
I think I could understand  
How it feels to love a girl  
I swear I'd be a better man  
I'd listen to her  
Cause I know how it hurts  
When you lose the one you wanted  
Cause he's taking you for granted  
And everything you had got destroyed

It's a little too late for you to come back  
Say it's just a mistake,  
Think I'd forgive you like that  
If you thought I would wait for you  
You thought wrong

But you're just a boy  
You don't understand  
And you don't understand,  
How it feels to love a girl  
Someday you wish you were a better man  
You don't listen to her  
You don't care how it hurts  
Until you lose the one you wanted  
Cause you're taking her for granted  
And everything you had got destroyed  
But your just a boy#

"I'm not just a boy." Troy promised, closing his eyes at the words.

"I know." She allowed.

"I need you to talk to me." He said.

"I just miss him." She shrugged.

"I know. And I wish I could help somehow." He twisted his lips, cradling her but she pressed against him, forcing him away.

"If I decide I want to go back…for good…I need you to support me." She said honestly. "I need to know we can make this work."

"Okay, fine." He said quickly.

"No, Troy." Her brown eyes met his. "I mean it."

"So do I. I will do _anything _for you." He reiterated, a little agitated at repeating himself over and over and not being heard.

"I'd like to go home now. Will you please walk with me?" She hedged, flicking her eyes to his.

"Absolutely." He agreed, reaching for her hand, holding it the old fashioned way, not twining their fingers.

They came out from the house, the party in full swing as they bid goodbye to their friends.

"_Whipped._" Max coughed as they passed him.

Troy pushed his shoulder gently. "Yeah and wouldn't you be?" He laughed.

Max nodded. "Too true, buddy."

"See you at school I guess." Troy curled his lip.

"Yeah, see ya next week, dude."

--

It was about halfway home that Gabi looked to him with huge eyes and asked him to carry her.

He knew it was against his code of honour but when that girl turned her doe eyes on him, he was in no place to resist. And so he carried her up her steps gently, held against his chest where she seemed to be sleeping.

"Home sweet home, beautiful." He murmured, his lips brushing her forehead.

"Mmm." She said sleepily.

"Okay, I'll take you up." He smiled, knocking gently on the door where Julia opened it, wide eyed.

"Oh, hey Mrs. M." Troy greeted. "Uh, I was just gonna take her up…" He offered awkwardly.

She nodded with a smile at him, thinking he was an awfully sweet boy.

The stairs were kind of tricky but eventually he made it to her room and laid her in the bed, pulling her comforter over her, stroking her hair.

"Don't give up on me." He begged, sighing.

He leaned to kiss her forehead, tiptoeing out and descending the stairs quickly, intending to disappear before he was seen again.

"Oh Troy!" Julia called and he shoved his hands in his pockets, closing his eyes.

"Mrs. M." He said.

"Is Gabi okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, she's just tired." He explained.

Julia nodded. "Did she speak to you about maybe leaving for good?" She asked, her eyes hurt and hopeful.

He nodded, tensing at the pain that hit him at the thought. "Yeah…"

"I told I'd support her, if she wanted to go. It would kill me to be without her, but if it's what she wants, we should let her go." She said, changing her words deliberately from 'I' to 'we', knowing Troy could ultimately make her daughters decision for her.

"I know." He agreed heavily.

Julia nodded. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to make sure this is her decision, that no-one else influences her…"

"You're a good mom." He smiled, edging for the door. "I gotta go…"

"Of course!" She said, gasping. "I hope I haven't made you late for your curfew…"

"No more than usual." He beamed, vanishing at a quick walk from the house.

She wondered when her child had grown up. Had something happened when she wasn't looking and ten years of her life gone by that she had missed? She would surely miss a whole lot more without her here, at home.

But she was beginning to face the prospect that Gabi just wasn't happy in Albuquerque. And instead of keep moving her around, perhaps it was time to just let her fly.

Even if that was away from her.


	5. Chapter 5

**I love you guys!!!!! Thank you :)**

**Chapter 5**

Gabriella's small form slid out the front door where the gentle breeze caught her soft curls and cast them over her shoulder.

Her face was pensive, still strained with indecision as she took a small breath. Her lips were parted, coloured in her favourite lipstick. She looked ahead for the first time, as if only then having enough courage to face the world.

He was here, she noted as she spotted Troy lounging on a bollard outside her gate. She started down the path, her outfit of black shorts and her new black shirt teamed with wedges and her gypsy style earrings and bangles.

"I see there's a Wildcat on the loose." She commented warmly.

And then his eyes found her, hungrily brushing over her form. His look was so powerful she could almost feel his thumbs brushing her ribs, his lips kissing up her belly.

"Oh I get it." He said eventually with a pained smile, rising from his perch and lifting his skateboard.

"Get what?" She asked innocently.

"I get _exactly _what this is," he nodded knowingly, allowing one more dip of his gaze to her legs.

"It's the first day of school." She supplied.

"You're trying to get me to crack." He opposed.

"Crack what?" She asked again, barely able to contain her smirk.

He looked at her again with his look that distracted her every time. She blinked to resist it.

"Let's go, Wildcat. Don't want to be late first day back." She mused.

Troy had to give it to her. She sure knew how to fight dirty. He may have started this little temptation game at the pool party, smiling as he remembered her looks to his torso. But she was definitely becoming the master of it, he thought.

"Sleep well?" He asked as they walked, her hand wrapping around his elbow and he pocketed his own hand.

"Yeah…some cute boy carried me home and must have put me to bed…" She reminisced with a confused smile.

"Oh really? I'm not sure I like the sound of strange boys preying on my girl." He teased.

"Oh, he's not strange. He's the perfect gentleman." She assured.

He pressed his lips together to hold his smile.

"Is that so?" He asked drily.

"Mmm-mm. My dad would be impressed." She added.

"I bet he would." He mused ruefully.

"But you know, I'm kinda wishing he would kiss me. I keep dreaming about his lips…"

He couldn't stop his laugh.

"I knew it!" He accused.

"Do you know him?" She asked back, feigning innocence once more.

"I know your game Miss Montez." He said with an eye squint.

"I can't help that he's an awesome kisser…" She pined, subtly laying her hands on his chest, her fingertips crawling upward as she rose on her toes.

"I can resist you." He told himself more than her.

"_What if I don't want you to?_" She whispered.

"Tough." He said, taking her hands from his body and stepping back. "Until tonight," he added, kissing her knuckles and then jogging away.

Gabi was left to sigh wistfully into the warm summer breeze, chewing her lip thoughtfully.

This was actually harder than she thought. Give him his credit, he was holding up quite well. She needed to think of a new tactic.

--

"Need your girl to fight your battles for you, huh?" Chad shouldered Troy heavily, shunting him backward where they clashed in the hallway.

"I would gladly beat the crap out of you." Troy glinted an unamused smile at his ex-buddy.

"You didn't though, did you? How does Gabi feel knowing her boyfriend can't even protect her?" Chad needled, his barb hitting Troy heavily in the gut.

"She knows she can kick your ass herself." He replied confidently.

"This time." Chad allowed.

"Every time." Troy promised, shouldering past Chad to get to his class, sighing as he threw himself into his seat, his bag cast across the desk haphazardly.

"What's up dude? How's the girl?" Max asked brightly, collapsing next to him.

"She's great. If her boyfriend was even half a man." He said.

"Huh?"

"Chad. He was in the hall; he ribbed me for having Gabi fight my battles." He explained briefly.

"Dude, he had a knuckle duster, that's hardly an even fight." Max pointed out reasonably.

Troy sighed again, rubbing his forehead then letting his hand trail through his hair.

"He's right though, I should be able to protect her."

"You do, all the time." Max assured, not used to seeing his buddy this way.

"Maybe I should work out more- learn self defence?" He wondered.

"What?"

"They're not going to give up on this, Max. Chad and Aidan are not the kind of guys to just let things go. Look how many fights I got in with Chad when he was over on the West Side goading the boys."

"She's with you now. They haven't got anything to fight for."

"Chad has. He still blames me for breaking our blood bond." He lifted his brows.

"I don't blame you for that. I don't blame you for breaking free of him." Max offered.

"Dude, is everything ok between you and Gabi?" He added.

Troy shrugged despondently.

"She knows you love her." Max assured.

"I don't know if that's enough…" Troy said honestly.

--

Oh god had it always been this hard? Gabi thought to herself as cheer practice tired her quickly.

Maybe not as bad is she hadn't consumed about a million calories this summer. She considered the possibility of devising a slightly less energetic routine. Something slower to accommodate her lack of fitness.

No one would guess. Right?

"Ok squad! That's enough for today!" She called brightly.

Kelsey ventured towards her as she collapsed on a bench with her water.

"Hey, Gabi."

"Oh, hey, Kels." She smiled.

"How's Troy?" She asked and Gabi flicked her eyes up, seeing the girl blush.

"He's good." She answered, wondering if the petite girl had a crush on her Troy.

"Say hi to him for me…" She said gently and Gabi nodded.

"Will do." She confirmed, drinking her water slowly.

"What are you getting him for his birthday?" She enquired with interest then blushing as Gabi snapped her head up.

"His birthday?" Gabi said back, a fear crawling in her tummy.

"It's two weeks away; I thought you might have something…" Kelsey led.

"Oh well, I was planning it already…" She lied; annoyed that Troy hadn't told her his birthday was coming up.

"Of course. Well, tell him I said hi." Kelsey smiled and walked away, leaving Gabi in an anxious bubble of her own.

--

It was addictive. The wind in her hair, the power in her thighs as she pushed forward on her skates and flung her arms out to the world, soaring along the pavement with smooth grace.

Her cheer shorts modested with leggings, she had a little white vest layered with a grey one over the top and her curves were showcased perfectly as she reached her arms up, twisting into a spin, coming to a stop as she looked around her as if just then realizing where she was.

The park was always her favourite place to go; it was like her own personal playground.

She headed for the pole, practicing her pole dancing, wondering how she could bring her dancing into the fore.

She considered looking at more competitions, some way of pushing herself, getting back to her previous, lithe self.

Gripping the pole with one hand, she lowered on her right haunch, wrapping her left leg up the pole enticingly, arcing her left arm out, her breaths strained as she felt the stretch across her body.

"How much for a pole dance?" Aidan asked drily.

Gabi climbed up, eyeing him coolly.

"I'm not for sale." She remarked, skating away.

"Hey! Wait up." He requested, following her with a casual walk.

"Stop stalking me Aidan." She said firmly, facing him.

"I came to say something." He said, hands in jeans pockets, his t-shirt tight on his chest and his jeans baggy on his frame.

"Wow and you actually expect me to listen?" She wondered, angrily.

"No. But I hoped you would." He returned.

Gabi lifted her eyes to his then, waiting.

"I'm sorry for how I treated you." He said quickly, blinking his pale lashes onto his cheeks, covering his hazel eyes.

"Is that it? That's meant to cover everything you put me through- put Troy through?" She added.

"I'm sorry for him, too. I was wrong." He admitted.

"Why all of a sudden?" She asked with sharp suspicion. "What do you want?"

"There's a skate competition." He admitted, knowing better than to fake with her. The girl was too intelligent to be duped.

"Oh! Oh right and you expect me to skate with you. Now that's hilarious!" She quipped, hand on hip.

"Its for West High, it's a county comp. All the schools are entering. I thought you'd be interested…" He hedged.

"I am, but not with you!" She cast back rashly.

"Give me a chance…" He begged.

"You don't deserve one." She folded her arms, punctuating her sentence.

Aidan nodded, pressing his lips together.

"I know, you're right. I just thought you might at least see what I can do. See what we could do together. You know, we might even win it…" He dangled.

"How could we win it when I can't stand the thought of you anywhere near me?" She argued, frustrated.

"I promise not to touch you unless I have to." He offered.

Gabi spat out a laugh, rolling her eyes.

"This is just some stupid sick game of yours, Aidan." She accused. "There must be someone else who wants to enter this thing?" She asked, bewildered at his request.

"They're having tryouts. Tomorrow lunchtime. Please at least come to that." He asked and she frowned at this side of him, a side she hadn't seen before.

"Seriously, what's changed?" She asked.

He shrugged his shoulders, meeting her gaze with his.

"I guess I grew up this summer." He said and wandered off, leaving her astounded, blowing her breath out quickly.

"What did he want?" Troy asked from behind her, skating over on his own skates.

"It doesn't matter." She said, spinning to face him. "Hey boyfriend!" She beamed instead.

"Ohhh no!" He said quickly, seeing her smile and how she immediately wound her arms around his neck.

"What?" She begged sulkily, pushing her lower lip out.

"Just remember, no kissing."

"But we had a date, surely it's time…" She reasoned.

"Nope. Second date is acceptable for kisses." He said, pursing his lips.

She sighed, laying her head against his chest where he hugged her.

"It feels like forever since I kissed you." She said gently, making him smile softly as he stroked her hair.

"I'm sure you'll survive." He mused.

"Are you really not missing it?" She argued, a little perturbed at this thought.

"Missing it…Babe, I miss kissing you like I miss my skateboard." He assured, making her giggle at his comparison. "But I have to do this. I'm going to show you it's not just about sex for me."

"I know that now, I knew it before, I just had a blip…" She whined.

He pulled away, holding out his hand.

"Let's go for a skate round the park." He suggested.

"You missed my pole dance." She offered with a brow lift, kind of trying to get a reaction from him.

"For that I am truly sorry." He said, placing his other hand over his heart. "But I am sure you won't mind repeating it for me…once I can actually ravage you afterwards, that is." He added with a cheeky glint.

Gabi pursed her lips, returning his animated smile. "I suppose I could do that." She allowed, taking his hand and skating off with him.

--

"So, how about dinner at my house on Friday?" Troy asked as he safely deposited Gabi at her door.

"Dinner? You're going to cook?" She accused.

He shrugged. "I can try. Mom can help." He flashed a winning smile.

"Sure thing, Wildcat." She agreed easily.

"Great, I'll see you tomorrow…" He led, raising his brows in question.

"Nope, Tay is walking with me tomorrow. She has some major gossip for me. After school?" She checked.

He twisted his lips. "I can't I'm busy," he said mysteriously.

"Oh, another girl?" She queried lightly.

"As if…" He teased.

"Okay I'll see you Friday then." She said decidedly, reaching up to kiss his cheek. "Goodnight, Troy Bolton." She said cutely.

"Good night, beautiful." He returned, skating away as she watched him with an affectionate smile.

--

"How's Troy?" Julia asked as her daughter came in, flushed and untidy from her skating.

"He seems okay." She offered

"Have you sorted things out?" Julia asked.

"Yeah kinda. He's decided to court me." She made a weird face. "Go figure."

"That's sweet." Julia commented lightly, sitting up from her magazine on the sofa.

"Come sit." She offered.

Gabi sank into the plush cushion, sighing as her brows drew together.

"What's up?" Julia asked knowingly.

"Nothing really…well…" She hedged.

"You can tell me anything; I promised I won't get mad." Julia said, wondering what Gabi was hiding.

"It's Aidan. The guy who Troy fought. He asked me to do a competition with him." She admitted.

"Oh. Wow that must have took guts." She mused.

"Yeah…" Gabi smiled confusedly. "But I don't trust him. I don't see how he can think I could do it after how he was with me and Troy…" She said, animating her confused emotions with her hands as she fiddled with them.

"What did he say when you called him on it?" She wondered.

Gabi lifted her eyes to her mom. "He said he'd changed over the summer, that he'd grown up." She admitted.

"Then maybe he has. You gave your dad a second chance and it worked out for the best…" Julia offered.

"Well it did until I felt torn between him and you…" Gabi returned.

"Oh honey, don't be torn." Julia said quickly, shocked at Gabi's revelation.

"So what do I do?" She asked of Aidan, closing the topic on her father.

"What's he asking you to do?"

"Just to try out." She admitted.

"Then that won't hurt anybody."

"Maybe Troy." She argued. "If he knew I was thinking of partnering with someone else."

"You don't know you will be yet. And if you do, then I'll help you work through it." Julia promised.

Gabi knew her mum was pretty awesome. At times like this it was just re-affirmed.

"I love you Mom." She said, reaching forward for a hug.

"I love you too. Now go shower up and I'll make us some cocoa." Julia smiled, watching her daughter climb the stairs, wondering how she was ever going to cope when she left to go to college.

She really needed to get a hobby before then, she mused.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"You came then." Aidan said from behind Gabi's cross-legged form, making her jump with the surprise of hearing it.

"Not for you." She retorted quickly, not looking at him.

"You're the best apparently." He said, scanning the room.

Gabi's nerves were kicking in. There were more people than she had anticipated and she hadn't told Troy about this thing yet. Although she did wonder if he didn't already know about it seeing as all the schools were doing it.

"Gabriella Montez…" Called the gym teacher and Gabi took a steadying breath, laying her palms on the floor to boost herself up.

"Go get 'em, Wildcat." Aidan said.

Gabi turned, squinting at him.

"I'm a Bear, in case you had forgotten."

"Just checking." He mused, making her furious that he had even spoken to her.

Her audition was good, she could feel that.

As each girl rose to do a routine, she judged them technically in her mind. She had decided it was between her and a pretty blonde called Sharpay. She had it all; the looks, the attitude, the all American image.

"Call backs today will be for the final six." The teacher explained. "From there we'll set you up on partner sequences and see who works best together."

Gabi had watched the boys with some interest and she knew Aidan would get through.

He was actually better than she expected, maybe better than Troy, even.

He was sharp, concise and talented. She squinted again as she waited for her name to be called and nodded knowingly when it was.

Aidan's name was read out from the boy's list and she found herself looking at him, wondering if he really could change.

"Looks like we're through, princess." He commented.

"Don't call me that." She objected, glaring at him and then walking away.

--

"There's the big girl…" Chad murmured. "Oh wait, even a girl is more use than you in a fight." He amended.

Troy paused from collecting his books from his locker and turned with a controlled glare.

"I want that necklace back." Troy warned.

"What necklace?" Chad smiled innocently.

"The one you stole from my girlfriend." Troy explained unnecessarily, standing up taller.

"Oh you mean the one I ripped from her neck before I helped myself to her rack?" Chad asked. "It's a great rack by the way; you didn't have to be so shy in sharing."

Troy gritted his teeth.

"I know for a fact you didn't lay one hand on her." He argued, even then subconsciously doubting his own words and Gabi's promise to him.

"Oh, she fought me. But I got a handful and then some…" He added goadingly.

"I'm gonna fucking kill you, Danforth!" Troy roared, instantly throwing his weight at Chad and toppling him to the floor.

"Hey it's not my fault she enjoyed it, you're obviously not hitting the right buttons!" Chad laughed under his weight as they grappled on the floor.

"Bolton! Danforth!" Coach Bolton called, pulling the fighting boys apart with difficulty and gripping them each by their upper arm as he escorted them to the Principal's office, muttering to his own son about fighting in school.

Troy ignored him and glared at Chad as they were seated opposite sides of the office door.

"I get detention, you die." Troy warned quietly.

"You hit me first." Chad riled back quietly.

"No more talking!" Coach Bolton shouted.

--

"How's Troy?" Daniel asked, carrying the lounge phone to the sofa where he sat, relaxing back with a relieved sigh.

Work was over. He was covering the bills and even saving some to help pay for Gabi's prom dress. He might even be able to take her somewhere nice the next time she visited.

"Busy apparently." She said in response.

"Oh, he let you down?" He wondered.

"No, he just couldn't see me today. It's cool." She added.

"Are you sure? I feel like I haven't asked nearly enough questions about him."

"Well he's being a bit weird and decided to court me. If I didn't know better I'd blame you but he came up with this all on his own." She quipped.

"Courting you?!" He let out a short, abrupt laugh. "That's amazing…" He murmured as an afterthought.

"Yeah that's one word…" Gabi mused.

"How's the cheerleading and skating?"

"It's good. I miss you and Tom." She added.

"We miss you too." He returned, his voice becoming strained with his emotion.

"How's Henri?" She asked inquisitively.

"I'm not sure; I haven't really spoken to her…"

"And why not?" She asked again.

He looked around his living room, thinking he was the one meant to be asking the questions.

"Because right now I want to concentrate on you. It's taken me three years to get this far…"

"Dad, call her. Ask her over for dinner. Make your Bolognese." She instructed.

"I'll think about it."

"I'll call her…" She wheedled.

"Don't cross me, Gabi." He warned back, his tone clear.

"Oh alriight…" She sighed.

"Say hi to that boyfriend of yours for me." He said then.

"I will. Mom has to speak to you now. About fall break." She added.

"Okay. Love you baby girl."

"I love you too, dad." She said and it was the first time he had heard it, the words made his head jolt backward in shock.

He felt tears gather in his eyes and when he closed them, they fell down his cheeks.

"Daniel?" Julia's voice was clear and concise and wrenched him from his emotional moment as they started a whole new conversation.

--

"Is Gabi sleeping over tonight?" Lucy asked her son as he fastidiously concentrated on his lasagne under her guidance.

"Nope." He said, licking his lips and standing back from the dish.

"Oh." She said, surprised. "Is everything okay between you?" She checked.

"Uh-huh" He nodded, sliding the dish into the oven and turning with a proud smile, his eyes alight with excitement. "I did it!" He enthused.

"You did indeed….Are you sure everything is ok?" His mum asked again, really stumped at his refusal to have his girlfriend sleep over. The pair of them were normally inseparable.

"Everything is fine. We're just….courting." He said, dropping his eyes as he blushed.

"Oh." Julia said, even more shocked now.

"Well you asked…" He argued lightly.

"I just wasn't expecting that." She admitted.

"I'm treating her like a lady mom, you should be proud."

"I am proud, of course I am." She said quickly.

"Okay enough about me; I have to go change…" He grinned, heading upstairs at the speed of lightening, his clattering feet drawing a roll of Julia's eyes.

"That's my boy." She muttered drily.

--

"Wow hot boy alert…" Gabi breathed as she opened her door and found Troy there, wearing a smart navy shirt and some dark rinse jeans, still not quite able to be parted from his favourite shoes.

But the shirt brought out the blue in his eyes so dramatically; she couldn't help but stand and stare, head tipped sideways as her mouth opened in surprise. His hair was soft and shaggy but he'd tried to train it back neatly and she smiled at the thought he had gone to so much effort for her.

"You deserve a kiss…" She began, stepping out of her house, seeing his own face mirroring hers.

"Nice try." He said quickly, his keen gaze running over her.

She had chosen a pretty floral dress that Henri had insisted she take despite it not being her style at all and she had to admit, Henri was right. The bold floral pattern suited her dark skin and wild hair, which she had tethered up at one side with a butterfly clip. To edge up the look to satisfy her inner rock chick, she had chosen an arm bangle that she wore above her elbow and her gladiator sandals, decorating her ears with some large hoops as usual.

"Wow…" Troy breathed then as Gabi waited for his eyes to return to hers.

"It's new." She supplied of the dress.

"Its gorgeous, you're gorgeous in it." He said, taking a breath and holding his hand out.

"Thank you. I thought I'd try girly for a change…" She mused, loving his reaction, his clinging looks.

"I'm regretting ever suggesting this courting thing now…" He muttered, making her laugh.

"What! I wore the sexiest outfit ever on Monday!" She argued.

"Its something about that sweet and innocent look…" He frowned, shaking his head as he looked at her again, by his side.

"Well I am…" She bit the corner of her lower lip becomingly, rousing an agonized moan from his lips.

"I'm dead. I am absolutely dead!" He dramatized.

--

"So what's for dessert?" Gabi asked keenly as she relaxed back in her chair.

"I know what you're thinking." He said, meeting her gaze under his long lashes.

"What?" She asked.

"Don't act all innocent with me." He teased.

"A lady expects a dessert, Troy." She demanded softly.

"You would normally have me…" He murmured, reaching across the table for her hand. She looked at it.

"But I have been banned from that particular tasty delight…" She explained, slipping her hand into his after much thought.

"I wish you wouldn't say things like that." He arched a brow.

"Hey, it's your thing; I never said I was going to try and resist you. Quite frankly, I don't even want to try…" She curled her lips, leaning forward.

"Cheesecake." He said randomly, standing up after staring at her intensely for a few seconds.

"Oh… nice." She smiled faintly, sitting back with a sigh as her seduction failed once more.

She was used to being irresistible. She was used to getting her own way. She knew he was dying to touch her just like she was him but he was holding out, as promised.

She rose from her seat, trailing over to the counter.

"Need a hand?" She husked as he faced the worktop, cutting the cheesecake. Her hands went around his waist, dropping to his groin where she cupped his arousal and he jolted at the feel of her touch.

"Whoa!" He said sharply, dropping his knife and taking her hands from his body quickly. He breathed a few heavy breaths, gripping the counter.

"What's up, Wildcat?" She purred softly, rubbing her front against his back where her curves defined against his muscles, her breasts softly heavy and delicious aches enveloped him.

He turned, removing her from his body with a gentle grip on her wrists.

"I am trying really hard not to be like every other guy here, Gabi." He beseeched.

"And I get it, you proved it, now lets enjoy making out again." She pleaded.

He sighed, looking her directly in the eye, letting down her hands to his chest where he leaned back on the counter, his rigid body a stark reminder of the need they both felt.

"Date two is kisses remember?" He asked lightly, belying the heavy weight on his shoulders from trying to resist her body, her deep brown eyes that drew him in.

She flicked her eyes up, her look changing from teasing to nervous.

"You still want to right?" She asked carefully, studying her hands at his chest for a moment.

"Do I even need to answer that?" He husked, tipping her chin with a finger.

"I just…I wondered why you were being so strict about it…" She hedged.

"Because it's important to me that you know I can control my urges. No matter what you throw at me." He added with a curly smile, cupping her back.

"Well good luck with that." She mused, peeking past him at the counter. "Is the dessert ready yet?" She asked eagerly.

He sighed, letting her break from his arms as she scampered off again and he brought her the dessert, leading her through to the sofa to eat it.

"Mmm." She moaned predictably, licking her lips.

"You know what? This was a bad idea…" Troy said, getting up and heading for the kitchen.

"Oh hey don't leave me!" She whined behind him and he turned to smile tightly at her.

"I either leave you or take you on the sofa." He said honestly, continuing his path to the kitchen.

Gabi watched him go, feeling a glimmer of sympathy for her boyfriend. He really was trying hard to prove to her that he loved her and she didn't doubt him. His words had left her astounded and also throbbing needfully for his touch, for his body to complete hers.

She wondered how much longer he planned to abstain and maybe, just maybe she might go a bit easier on him.

She finished her food, curling her legs up and relaxing into the sofa, coming round when Troy's weight plopped next to hers.

"Am I safe yet?" He asked warmly.

She curled into his side a little, resting her head on his shoulder.

"So what are we doing this weekend?" She asked eagerly, sitting up.

"Uhm…avoiding each other like the plague?" He suggested.

"No!" She giggled, hitting him. "Let's go skating. We can have a picnic!" She enthused.

"Skating…mmm now if I remember rightly your skate outfits are way too hot." He mused.

"I'll wear something ugly." She promised. "Please? It'll be cute. It's totally innocent." She added.

He flicked her a look under his lashes.

"Something tells me you couldn't do innocent if you tried…" He said drily.

"I'll try." She offered. "It'll be new for me."

"Okay, fine."

"I think I should go home now." She stated, uncurling and standing up.

"Already?" He pined.

"It's only our second date." She reminded him.

"Oh, sure…" He tailed off.

"You want me to stay, Wildcat?" She asked, bemused.

"I just got used to having you around again." He shrugged. "I just wanted to hang out."

"Oh, that is adorable!" She teased. "Okay, well let's watch a movie then?" She suggested thinking this was a nice activity to share with him.

"Awesome, you pick something, I'll make popcorn!" He said and she smiled as she got up to check out the selection.

She was actually quite glad of his old-fashioned approach now. It was nice to think they could just spend time together without running around on skates or making out like crazy in his tree house, although she liked that, too.

It was nice just to let the world go by for once and relax.

--

"You really need to get more sleep." Troy admonished as Gabi woke, now lying in his lap, all curled up.

"I just did." She returned, sitting up, blinking sleepily around her.

"I'll take you home." He said, shifting to get his truck keys.

"Okay." She said, blinking again, this time the movement speaking volumes.

"What's up?" He asked, looking back on her.

"It's just nice…being here." She said confusedly, not really knowing what she meant herself, just that she felt she didn't want the night to end.

"You wanna stay over?" He asked.

"I'm not allowed. It's _against the rules,_" she teased.

"You can take my bed, I'll sleep down here."

"No, I'd want you to hold me and I wouldn't be able to sleep while you were so close by." She reasoned.

"Maybe I could…" He hedged, not liking the look on her face. Like she needed a hug and she didn't think she could ask for one. "I promise not to do anything." He added.

Her eyes were large and hopeful.

"I just need a hug you know?" She offered then and he broke into a smile.

"I can see that. Let me go check with mom." He added and vanished, leaving her to lay back into the sofa to make her own call home.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you for the reviews sorry I haven't had time to appreciate my readers but I do love reading your loves and hates or even two words if that's all you have time for :)**

**Umm this chapter might not make sense because somehow a chunk got deleted and I only saw it before I posted and I don't have time to change it…but just pretend Kelsey told Gabi that Troy's birthday is coming up…**

**Oh and it's a bit random, too, sorry!**

**Chapter 7**

Troy's door was open and Gabi could hear the distant voices of his mum and dad. She smiled, feeling his arm slung across her waist as he slept behind her.

The deep, adult voices next door reminded her of her own mother and father before the divorce.

They had sat in bed, discussing whatever it was that parents discuss and she had listened to their soothing voices from across the hall.

But gradually the voices became louder, angrier. Her father had been the loudest, her mother the most upset but it still needled her that she couldn't remember what they had argued about.

All she knew was that one day he was there and the next he was gone. With nothing more than a 'goodbye baby girl' and a teddy as some kind of pathetic replacement.

She hugged Troy's arm around her middle as she remembered the times she'd needed her dad to give her a hug. Just a man to talk to. Just her dad.

They'd _always _taken trips together. Always watched baseball. And then…nothing.

Her sniffle was what woke Troy, though he'd felt her gripping his arm. He leaned up sleepily, seeing her tears against her face, shocked.

"Hey…" He murmured, holding her tighter, kissing her bare shoulder where her vest left a patch of skin for his lips.

She quickly wiped her tears away, not wanting Troy to see her crying.

"Hey, Wildcat." She greeted softly.

"What's wrong?" He asked, concerned.

"Nothing, I'm fine." She lied.

"Oh sure, you always cry when you're fine?" He asked.

She tipped back and he made room for her to lie on her back, peeking her brown eyes at him.

"I was listening to your mom and dad and it reminded me of my parents, before they divorced." She explained.

He brushed his thumb across her soft cheek, his skin wet with her tears.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," he offered, not sure what else to say.

She rolled the rest of the way over, circling her arms around his middle and pressing her face into his chest where he could rub her back.

"Thank you for being so understanding." She said against him.

"Hey what kind of boyfriend would I be if I wasn't?" He asked gently.

"A bad one." She defined and he chuckled.

"Troy…how come you didn't tell me about your birthday?" She asked quietly and he sucked in a breath.

"Oh wow, you found out." He said blankly.

"Yeah, your groupie told me." She said, looking up into his face now.

"My what?"

"Kelsey. Stop changing the subject." She added knowingly.

"Seriously, my mom and dad are going to have some awful family meal thing and I don't even want to go myself let alone put anyone else through the pain." He explained.

"Oh." She said, wondering why he didn't want her to meet his family.

Troy could kill Kelsey. He deliberately didn't want to have to go through this with Gabi. And now she felt like he was excluding her even though he really was more embarrassed of his family than her.

"I could ask mom…" He hedged.

She beamed, showing her approval.

"Let's go make pancakes, huh?" He suggested.

"No, I'll poison you." She sulked.

"I don't care. I'll eat every bite." He swore.

--

"What do you want, Chad?" Troy asked tiredly, dropping his gaze to the picnic blanket before he looked up, slowly rising to his feet as he did so, prepared to fight him once more if he had to.

He'd brought Gabi to the park to spend time with her, just them, alone. He'd wanted to re-assure her after her tears last night, wanted to share his time with her and just hold her. It was just his luck that his ex-best friend would turn up to cause trouble.

"Just thought I'd see what love's young dream were doing out here by the lake." He commented, his basketball lodged under his arm.

Troy stepped toward him, dividing Gabi from him and his friend.

"Oh- the big man is fronting up, huh? Shame you couldn't do that when I took what I wanted from your girl…" He sneered, laughing as Gabi quickly climbed from her seat, holding Troy back by one of his tensed, muscle loaded arms.

"You wish…" Gabi said to the dark boy, willing Troy to relax.

"No, I think you do secretly…" He smiled in a way that made Gabi shiver in disgust, his eyes tracing her figure through her vest and jeans.

Troy's arm edged out, as though hiding her from his gaze.

"Just leave." Troy suggested in a gravelled voice.

Chad smirked. "Sure. But she can't resist me; she'll be back for more…" He promised and turned with a lewd smile as Gabi closed her eyes and fought off the memories of when he had captured her.

"Are you okay?" He asked her, turning once Chad was safely out of view, his tense body relaxing.

"You know me better than that." She chided.

"I just think I do; then you surprise me. I had to ask." He added, his fringe tipping across his face as he leaned down, cupping her face.

She leaned up into the kiss, feeling like it was the very first time she had kissed him even though they had done this many times before. In much harder, faster, more urgent ways.

The soft, addictive insistence of his lips was hard to resist. She stared at him wide eyed as he pulled away, his lashes capturing her gaze as he blinked shyly, then looked at her under them.

"I feel like we're starting over." He aired her own thoughts.

"I know, me too." She agreed confusedly.

"I kinda like it." He smiled bemusedly back.

She flashed him a smile, taking her seat back on the blanket and picking at their food again as she looked out onto the water.

He watched her, her dark hair flowing over her shoulders and jumping lightly in the breeze. Her dark eyes hid so much yet she let him in, only occasionally, but she did let him in.

He admired the structure of her face; her utter beauty. Her mouth was just designed for kissing and he could find himself totally absorbed in her, forgetting everything else around them.

It was a curious feeling, one he wasn't used to. Before Gabi, his life was about basketball and skating. Not much else.

"Where do those rumours come from?" She asked randomly.

"What rumours?" He asked, lowering himself down agilely next to her.

She leaned into his arm as he shared the view with her, tipping her head to his shoulder.

"About you being good in bed?" She queried.

"What do you mean rumours?" He teased. "Are they not true?" He asked back.

She lifted her head flicking him a smile. "Well, you're passable." She allowed teasingly in return.

"Oh man, way to kill a guy's ego…" He argued, slumping forward dejectedly.

"I guess you'll do…" She murmured into his ear. Brushing back his hair with her fingers, playing with it a little.

He smiled, closing his eyes, leaning back in a relaxed pose.

"I guess we started them." He said quietly, his smile growing as Gabi continued to groom his wayward mop, her breaths brushing against his face as she got closer.

"You and Chad?" She asked.

"Yeah…"

"Do you miss him?" She wondered.

"Sometimes. When I remember what we were like before we got to high school, before he became a moron." He added bitterly,

"Yeah, that sucked." She agreed and he turned toward her, her touch tickling him at his ear and he smiled.

"I have you, though." He reasoned.

"Yes, you are very lucky." She agreed, laying her hand back by her side, resting on it and leaning toward him.

"That first time I met you…I'll never forget your face…" He said, his brows flipping up in his ruefulness.

"What was it like?" She asked, knowing she had been very rude to him.

"Beautiful." He answered, leaning back so he could turn further into her.

"And mad I bet…" She suggested knowingly.

"Just…confused maybe," he adjusted.

"Well I don't often get stalked. Well okay I do, but not by cute boys." She amended.

"You thought I was cute?" He squinted triumphantly.

"A little…"

"That's why you asked me to dance." He realised quickly,

"Well, you actually asked me to dance- or skate-" she mused. "But I had to check how much work you would need." She grinned.

"Lots." He murmured, capturing her gaze with his, flicking his eyes over her face as she leaned further in, so close to him now that she could feel his heartbeat in the pulse of his arm that brushed hers.

"How did you catch me, Troy Bolton?" She asked, closing her eyes and kissing him again, pulling away after the tender moment.

He looked back out to the horizon, tilting his head to rest on hers when she put it back to his shoulder.

"I don't know, but I'm glad you let me." He said softly.

He felt her shiver under his touch.

"I should get you home." He said resolutely.

"You know what?" She asked as they packed up their picnic and joined hands.

"What?"

"I'm quite glad we did this thing." She said then, smiling up at him as they began their walk home.

--

"Hi Troy!" Kelsey greeted eagerly, making Gabi smile.

"Hi Kels." She added drily.

"Hi Gabi." Kelsey added with a blush as Troy looked between the girls.

"Hello Kelsey." He greeted with a warm smile as Gabi walked off, forcing him to let go of her hand as she greeted her friends.

"How are you?" Kelsey asked.

"I'm good…How are you? Living up to the name of champions for the squad I hope?" He asked.

"Yeah, we're doing good. Are you doing the inter school skate comp?" Kelsey asked and Gabi felt her heart go into her throat at the mere mention of it even though she wasn't strictly doing anything wrong.

"Nah, I have some other stuff on, I don't really have enough time for it." He said amicably. "You gonna enter?" He checked, then flipped a look to Gabi.

"No I missed try outs but Gabi went…" Kelsey offered and Gabi smiled tightly.

"I did and I doubt I'll get in because there were some awesome skaters there." She brushed off easily.

"The way you move, they'd be crazy not to sign you up…" Troy beamed across at her.

"Well thank you boyfriend. Now stop chatting up girls and get to school before you're late!" She chided.

"Uh huh, now I'm packed off like a homeless dog…" He pined mock sulkily.

"I'd give you a home." Kelsey offered then flushed when Troy looked at her sharply.

Gabi felt a little flicker of jealousy run through her at Kelsey's words and stepped forward, tiptoeing to kiss Troy's cheek.

"Me too." She assured him, watching him leave, turning to her friend.

"Are you hot for him?" She asked outright.

Kelsey shrugged awkwardly and vanished into school, leaving Gabi to frown confusedly at Taylor.

"Face it Gabi, your boy is handsome," her friend explained.

"I know." She said with a confident grin. "I just like to remind everyone he's mine." She added and Taylor smiled to herself at Gabi's possessive words.

--

The play of the muscles in his lower belly was intriguing. Every time he jumped, his arm stretched to reach the shot and just below his belly button, the tight wash of muscle tweaked to accommodate his body's movement.

That's where Gabi's gaze was trained; with utter concentration as her boyfriend shot hoops with Ben and she leaned back on the picnic bench to enjoy the view.

She didn't care anymore that he was blatantly teasing her. She had her own ammunition as she delicately lengthened her shapely legs before her, the knee high boots flattering her legs.

Her dark denim hot pants were accessorised with patterned tights and a black vee- neck top that hugged over her backside and had too-long sleeves that she wrapped over her knuckles.

She was feeling the chill of the evening, unlike her half-naked boy; still shooting jump shots and treating her to the rippling expanse of his torso.

She checked the time; realising curfew was coming up, knowing she had a test at school the next day.

She sat up on the table top where she had perched, placing her feet firmly on the bench seat, readying herself to climb down carefully.

"May I?" A warm, out of breath voice offered and she smiled knowingly as Troy appeared suddenly before her.

He might have took her hand with the intention to help her down, but she wasn't expecting him to take her under the knees and whirl her around, lowering her to the ground in one swift, dizzying movement.

"Wow." She murmured, blinking as she clutched onto his arms.

"I get that a lot." He grinned as she met his gaze.

"Just put your shirt on, Bolton." She suggested with an unamused purse of her lips.

He pulled his tee top on, her eyes tracing his fingers as he unrolled the material to cover every inch of his delightful body. She sighed sadly, flicking her eyes up to his animated gaze.

"I love how you call me Bolton when you're mad at me." He noted.

"You think I'm mad?" She asked, giggling. "More like extremely… frustrated."

He flicked his eyes to her, still getting his breath from his exertive play. He didn't say anything at fist. His eyes just kept her gaze, wondering what to say.

Then his curly grin returned and his hands dropped from his hips, lifting one toward her to twine with her own as they walked home.

"I'm glad I could be of service." He said drily, then.

"Can we hang out tomorrow, in the tree house?" She begged.

"I…can't. I'm busy." He avoided her face, looking to his sneakers.

"Again?" She asked, unused to him having other activities.

"Yeah…It's a family thing." He lied and licked his lips, hoping she wouldn't notice.

She did. Gabi could tell when he was lying because his grip became tighter and he wouldn't look at her; but she didn't know why he was lying and after what he had told her about his birthday; she assumed he was just too awkward to share.

"Okay. Day after?" She wondered as they approached her house.

"Sounds good." He said, looking at her again. He leaned down to kiss her goodnight, letting their slow, tender kisses draw out until her mother called her inside and he left with a quick wave; jogging home.


	8. Chapter 8

**I just went through my old stories and read the reviews and I know I don't name people but I really do appreciate you all.**

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**You keep me going on the bad days ;)**

**Chapter 8**

"What do you mean you're busy tonight as well?" Gabi asked, a little hurt by Troy bailing on their plans for tonight.

Troy sighed. If he had known when he signed up for kick boxing, that it would take up several nights of his week to accustom to the initial training, he might have considered a less involved sport. But he wanted to learn fast and this was the only way.

"I'm sorry, I know I made plans with you, but this thing came up at the last minute and I can't get out of it…" He shrugged awkwardly.

"Is it another girl?" Gabi asked, placing her hands on her hips as they stood outside West High.

His gaze flashed down her small body. She was wearing black jeans that hung off her voluptuous hips with a studded belt, her feet encased in heeled sandals and a black racer back vest complimenting her messily arranged high ponytail.

Her darkened eyes were squinting; suspicious and annoyed and he could barely blame her.

But if she could only see herself, feel the deep kick in his gut at letting her down; she would know that there was no other girl in this world who could get him like she did.

"Do you honestly think anyone else could even begin to match up to you?" He complimented hopefully.

"I don't know." She shrugged. "I'm beginning to wonder."

She may have put on a few pounds, she may not always be as glamorous as before; she may even be sadder and more tearful, but she hoped that wouldn't have changed Troy's feelings for her.

He framed her face with a confused, hurt frown. "Why would you even think that?" He begged.

"You don't want to have sex with me, you break our dates; you're busy and I don't know why…" She said, her anger rising as she took fast breaths, breaking his hands from her face.

"I _do _want to have sex with you…" He whispered urgently. "You know why I'm not…You're the one who had a go at me because you thought I _only _wanted sex! I CAN'T WIN WITH YOU!" He shouted frustrated.

Her brown gaze lifted, cool and accusing.

"If that's how you really feel then maybe it's best you just go. And don't worry about seeing me, Troy. It's obvious I'm too hard work to date." She stated and turned, her black hair swinging attractively down her back as she strutted off, leaving him to close his eyes regretfully, sighing out heavily at their first argument.

It had been brewing ever since she came back and now here it was. But he had a point; she was punishing him for whatever he did and he couldn't live up to her impossibly high standards. He was just him, Troy. And if that wasn't good enough then as much as it pained him; he'd have to live without her in his life.

--

"What's up with you?" Aidan jibed as Gabi stood, her face thunderous as she waited for partnering to be confirmed.

"None of your business." She snapped back.

"Did the Wildcat dump you?" He wondered.

Gabi turned her slitted eyes to him, her painful memories of the morning still not healed as her eyes watered briefly.

"I thought you said you grew up?" She returned stiffly.

Aidan lifted his brows, accepting her accusation.

"Hey, I'm sorry; I was just trying to get you to smile." He offered.

"When did you ever make me smile, Aidan?" She challenged.

"When you crushed my balls?" He replied.

She smirked.

"Seriously, what happened?" He checked.

"Oh, like I'd tell you!" She scoffed. "Be all round school by end of day."

"Cross my heart…" He said as he did just that with his fingers.

"Why do you even care?" She wondered.

He shrugged. "I have a lot of making up to do."

"Attention!" The gym teacher called and Gabi sighed, about to let her guard down and glad for the interruption.

"Gabriella Montez and Aidan Gregory." She called first off and Gabi closed her eyes, shaking her head.

"You have got to be kidding me…" She whispered.

"You can tell me all about it now." Aidan smiled.

"You touch any part of me that doesn't require touching for the routine: I promise I will crush your balls again." She warned starkly.

"I won't touch a damn thing." He swore.

"Right couples…positions!" The teacher called and Gabi skated into place, following the instructions from the head of the group, begrudgingly working with Aidan. She was surprised to find how easily they partnered. She didn't trust him one bit; yet when they skated, it was like she knew he would be in the right place; knew his hands would catch her, his arms lift her and he wasn't taking any advantages of touching her unnecessarily.

They sat after warm down, together, catching their breath, waiting for confirmation or rejection for the next round.

"So, what happened?" He asked again, quietly.

She shrugged. "He blew me off."

Aidan looked shocked. "Troy Bolton?" He checked.

She nodded, pressing the sides of her mouth together.

"Your boyfriend?" He asked again and she managed a smile.

"Yes, the very same one." She replied drily.

"He must be crazy." He shook his head.

"Or seeing someone else." She suggested, revealing her worry.

"When he has you? After all he went through to be with you?" He reminded her.

"I never thought…I…" She stuttered, instantly feeling bad.

"He beat the crap out of me. He beat the crap out of his best friend- twice if rumours be right. I'm pretty sure the guys on his team hazed him pretty bad over being with the hottest girl in Albuquerque…" He led.

"You're being weird again." She warned.

"I'm just saying, he is not seeing another girl. There is no way he would do that to you, he is way too protective."

"And you would know because…" She led pointedly.

"I know more than you think." Was all he said before he lifted his head for the results of the try-outs.

--

"Did you get it?" Troy asked in a none-too-pleasant tone as his forearm squashed Chad's throat.

Chad wriggled under the pressure and Troy leaned back a little to allow him to speak.

"I can't find it!" Chad said desperately.

"Then you better go have another look for it because I want it back- tomorrow." Troy warned.

Chad's eyes flashed danger.

"Sure, anything you say, Wildcat." He smarted.

"You might have beaten me once, Chad, but don't forget, I can fight too. And I'm not gonna drop this until I have that necklace back." He assured.

"Threatened to dump you, has she?" He wondered.

"Just bring me it, or I'll find you." Troy finalised before he met Max in home room, discussing the basketball game on TV the previous night.

"So how's the kickboxing going?" Max asked.

"It's good, except I have to keep cancelling on Gabi and she's getting suspicious." He admitted.

"You haven't told her?!" Max asked, wide eyed.

"No, man. How am I meant to tell her I feel like a pathetic idiot? She doesn't need to hear that." He shared softly.

"Okay, dude. But listen, we want to do something for your birthday. Just your friends and that. What do you think?" Max asked.

Troy nodded. "I have a family thing to go to, but it would be good to hang out. Bowling or something? Arcades?" He suggested.

"Bowling is good. I'll set it up. Tell Gabi, huh?" He checked and Troy nodded.

He wanted to give Gabi back that necklace as soon as possible to assure her of his feelings; even though things were uncertain between them right now.

Eventually she would learn he wasn't going to vanish like her father and he would be patient for that day, he just wanted everything to be perfect.

--

"Holy fuck!" Gabi screamed as she came into the house and threw her schoolbag down with a fierce thud.

"Gabriella Alexandra Luisa Montez, mind your language!" Julia chided as she came through from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her skirt.

"I won the frickin' competition mom! I'm going to be skating for the school!" She fumed.

"That's amazing!" Julia enthused.

"WITH AIDAN!" She added, releasing the point of her frustration.

"Ah." Julia said, stepping back from her daughter as she stomped into the living room and threw herself on the sofa, only to get up and kick her shoes off, stomping around a bit more before folding her arms and facing her mother.

"How in the heck am I going to explain this to Troy?" She wondered.

"Just tell him the truth…" Julia suggested bemusedly.

"I accused him of seeing another girl. And now I'm skating with his arch enemy." She supplied starkly.

"You think he's seeing someone else?" Julia gasped.

"No...Not entirely…" Gabi sulked.

"Then why did you...?" She wondered confusedly.

Gabi shrugged. "Because I'm messed up? Because sometimes I wonder why he's with me. Sometimes I wonder why I didn't just keep to my rule of no falling in love and then nothing would be this difficult!" She complained, her arms rigid as she vented her emotions. "If dad hadn't left then I wouldn't feel all this hurt and sometimes I wonder if Troy would leave too, the more emotional I am the more I think he might and now we keep fighting…" She span and crashed onto the sofa, head in hands, sobbing.

"Gabi, you're a teenage girl. You have hormones crashing around you making everything seem crazy right now. I think Troy knows that you care about him." Julia offered with a hug.

"It's his birthday next weekend. I don't even have a gift!" She complained.

"Then we'll go to the mall this weekend…" Julia suggested.

Gabi looked up, sniffling. "That would be good."

"You know, Tom's mom called me today. They're visiting relatives nearby so you might see him this weekend." She said tentatively.

Gabi's face brightened. "Really?"

"Mm-mm." She nodded. "Oh, there's the phone, that's probably your dad."

Gabi got up and followed her mother into the kitchen, raiding the freezer for ice cream as her mother chattered for a while to her father.

Finally Julia signalled her to take the phone.

"How's Troy?" Daniel asked straight off.

"We had another fight." Gabi said to her father as she got comfy on the kitchen stool. She'd relocated from the breakfast bar with her tub of ice-cream and she ate it in between speaking.

"Oh, baby girl." He sighed, running a hand through his hair and wishing he could hug her as he heard the barely disguised hurt in her voice.

"I'm fat." She said randomly, poking her non-existent belly.

"You are not fat." He warned in a low voice, his fear of eating disorders coming to the fore.

"I will be if I eat this whole tub of Ben & Jerry…" She argued drily and he chuckled.

"You know what? If he can't love you when you're fat then he's no kind of man anyway." He teased back, hoping this were the right tack to take.

"What if he has someone else?" She panicked, sucking the spoon upside down in her mouth.

"You know what? When you came here, you didn't have a doubt in your mind about that boy. You wouldn't let a day go without me knowing how special he was. You mind telling me what changed?" He asked gently.

"I'm afraid he'll leave me like you did." She said so honestly, so openly that he sucked in a breath at her words.

Only then did he look to the other person in his living room. Henrietta was sat in the arm chair; happily sewing something up that she had said would be perfect for Gabi.

Henri lifted her gaze and put down her sewing, sitting next to him on the sofa, silently comforting him even though she didn't know the conversation he was having.

He was glad to have her there; she'd been by a couple of times for coffee or to have dinner. They hadn't moved beyond friendship, but even having company was a grateful feeling right now.

He planted his head in his hand, rubbing his temples as he felt the pain of his abandonment wash over him.

"I don't think Troy is gonna be half the fuck-up I was." He said in a gravelled voice and Gabi didn't flinch at his swear word. It just meant he had dropped his guard and he didn't do that very often.

Henri's soft hand splayed on his knee in comfort and he dropped his hand from his head to cover it.

"It hurts, dad." She said now, her sobs evident and he felt helpless to ease her pain.

"I'm sorry, baby girl. I'm so sorry I left you. But you can't punish Troy for my mistakes. You have to tell me what an asshole I am and let me deal with my shortfalls." He encouraged.

Henri's hand curled around his now and they sat side by side; hand in hand as he leaned back and spoke to his daughter about how badly he had let her down and how much this was governing her relationship with the boy she loved.

And as they worked through the difficult, painful subject, something hit him very squarely in the head.

She truly did love this Troy she spoke of. He didn't know how he had doubted it, apart from her young age, but every word she spoke convinced him more and more. But above all that, above how his daughter felt about him and her boyfriend, he realised pretty obviously, that he too was in love; with the beautiful Indian lady at his side.

The one he looked to, smiled at, curled his arm around and even leaned to kiss as he hung up the phone, ready to take some chances in his life after all.

--


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you for the reviews everybody! Please keep posting comments :)**

**Chapter 9**

"So…I need a hint as to what boys like." Gabi said to Tom as she lay face up on the bed and he lay at the other end head-to-tail.

He had made it to Albuquerque during his parent's trip to see relatives. They'd even agreed to drop him at Gabi's house while they gallivanted off, ready to pick him up the next day.

He lifted his head from the mattress to sneak a peek at his friend.

"In what way?" He asked worriedly.

"It's Troy's birthday soon." Gabi supplied.

"Oh right. Well that's easy, get him a video game." He announced firmly.

"I was thinking more sexy underwear…" She announced and Tom groaned in protest.

"Do I need to know these things?" He begged.

"Well who else am I supposed to ask?" She argued.

"Erm, how about Troy seeing as he's the recipient?" He suggested.

"How's Tammi?" She asked then, changing the subject.

"She's good; we're just taking it slowly." He added.

"Have you seen dad? Or Henri?" She asked next, eagerly.

"I think I saw Henri the other day at the garage picking up her car." He offered.

"What about at the house?" She demanded.

"Gabi, I can't stalk out your dad's house." He reasoned.

"Why not? I need to know whether they had a date yet…" She whined.

"I don't remember you being this…whiney." He commented ruefully.

"Oh well, people change." She giggled.

"I'll send you a card to give to Troy on his birthday." He said.

"Oh that's sweet. I'll tell him all about it." She promised.

"And that we are only friends, nothing more…" He added.

"He knows…." She rolled her eyes.

"Good, cos I don't want to get on the wrong side of him, he looked kinda scary." He muttered.

"He's not, I promise. When you meet him, you'll like him." She assured.

"How is he, anyway?" He asked next.

"We had a fight. I've been a total idiot." She sighed.

"Did you call him yet?"

"No." She admitted.

"Did he call you?" He wondered.

"No." She replied despondently.

"We should do something fun, remind you of your days in Indianapolis when all you did was moan about missing him!" He teased and Gabi kicked him with her sock-clad toe in the shoulder.

"Like what?" She challenged.

"Wash you mom's car!" He suggested wildly and she sat up, giggling.

"Sure, okay, you're on." She agreed and quickly flung her socks off, running down the stairs in the white cotton shorts Henri had sent her, teamed with her wildcats t-shirt that was now shrunken from so many washes and peeled up above her belly.

Gabi squealed as Tom doused her with the hose, her already skimpy outfit becoming wet and sticking to her skin.

"I'm so gonna get you!" She warned, throwing a well-aimed bucket of water that sloshed over him, soaking him right through his jeans and t-shirt.

She giggled, her bare feet no match for his trainers as she ran around her mom's car on the warm tarmac.

"Have that!" He yelled, squirting detergent at her and activating it with another blast from the hose, leaving her soapy and fuming.

"Tom ….!" She accused, laughing, wiping away reams of bubbles that seemed to be reproducing like the magic porridge pot.

"Your mom is going to kill you…" Tom goaded with a hearty laugh, catching Gabi round the waist and ruffling her already wet and messy hair.

"She's not the only one…" Came a dry male voice, one that Gabi recognised instantly.

She stood up from Tom's tickle, her mouth open as Troy stood in her driveway, hands in his combats short pockets, his thick chest accentuated with his white vest, his arms showcased.

"Troy…" She said breathily, breaking from Tom as he dropped her quickly.

"I'm Tom.." Her friend said nervously. "I'm just a friend; I have my own girlfriend…" He babbled. "Her name is Tammi…"

Gabi's eyes didn't leave Troy's, seeing the confusion in their blue depths.

"Having fun?" He enquired with an arched brow.

"This is Tom." She repeated. "The guy I told you about…my friend from Indianapolis."

"Looks more than friendly to me." He accused, turning to walk away.

Gabi sighed, throwing an apology to Tom before following Troy.

"Troy, wait!" She called helplessly.

"Why should I?" He asked. "I came here, despite not having done anything wrong and I find you practically making out with another guy. After you accused _me _of seeing someone else." He pointed out, still walking.

"Wait, please…" She begged. "Ouch!" She said softly, wincing as some glass embedded into her bare foot.

He stopped, glancing over his shoulder. He closed his eyes, seeing her hopping on one foot.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I don't know- glass I think…" She frowned, trying to look.

He rolled his eyes. "Let me take you back," he suggested.

"Not 'til you know that he is _just a friend._" She repeated.

"Your clothes are practically see- through. I haven't seen you in a day. I haven't touched you in weeks. And I walk up to your house-after you tell me you're quitting our relationship- and I see you practically naked in another boy's arms." He explained. "You've got to admit, this isn't easy for me."

She lifted her surprised eyes to him, not having considered any of what he had just pointed out.

She hobbled toward him, her eyes sad and tearful, her arms reaching for his neck as she folded them there.

"I am so sorry I made you think that." She apologised heavily.

"Just keep still." He suggested, bending to lift her and carry her back towards her house.

Tom stood in the driveway, looking lost.

"Hey, buddy." Troy lifted his chin to the skinny, mousy haired lad. "She cut her foot; will you help me get her inside?" He asked and Tom nodded, leading the way.

"I'm sorry you thought…" Tom began blushing. "I assure you, we are friends, nothing more, we only met recently and I have a girl…" He said again and Troy realised the slight boy was intimidated by him.

"Don't sweat it." Troy said amiably.

"I can see how it looked, but Gabi is like a sister to me, I never saw her like that…" He added.

Gabi giggled from Troy's arms. "It's true! He never even liked my ass." She added.

Troy wordlessly carried Gabi to the bathroom, running the bath to soak her foot a little.

"Well there must be something wrong with you…" He muttered drily to Tom who hovered in the doorway.

"I'm just gonna leave you two…" He said agitatedly.

"Hey, Tom, buddy!" Troy called just as he vanished from the door.

"Yes?" Tom answered.

"Sit down; tell me all about Gabi's summer adventures." He invited and Tom flicked his gaze between Gabi, sat on the edge of the bath; one foot in, one foot out; and Troy, protectively shadowing her.

"Go ahead…" Gabi smiled; glad at least that Troy was warming to her friend, even if he didn't forgive her.

Soon, they were back in Gabi's room, Gabi's foot in Troy's lap as he removed the glass with tweezers and listened to Tom's recital of the summer they spent together. Occasionally Gabi would intervene or argue, but mostly he could see that his girlfriend held a real affection for this harmless, funny guy.

"Ouch!" Gabi whimpered as he pulled out the shard, his concerned gaze flicking up to her pained face, his long fingers gently stroking her ankle to soothe her.

"Sorry, beautiful." He apologised softly.

Gabi looked to him, her gaze worried.

"I'm the one who should be sorry." She repeated.

"Anyone want a drink?" Tom asked, catapulting from his seat before anyone answered, sensing a moment here he didn't want to interrupt.

"Sit down, Tom." Troy commanded with a smile playing at his lips. "We're not going to start making out and gross you out or anything." He assured.

Gabi tipped her head at Troy, confused.

"Why don't we all have dinner tonight- go down to the Quayside diner?" Gabi suggested.

"I can't." Troy said regretfully. "But I'm around tomorrow- drop by and we'll hang out."

"Just me and you then, Tom." Gabi amended.

Tom looked to Troy. "Is that okay with you?" He checked.

Troy nodded. "Absolutely. Just take good care of her." He asked, stroking her foot one last time as he finished with the band aid; before placing it down to the floor.

She really didn't understand what was going on. He'd had a chance to have some privacy and denied it, he'd rejected dinner with them; yet he didn't seem particularly angry with her now; he seemed to trust her and Tom.

She touched Tom's knee. "I'm just going to see Troy out." She said gently and Tom nodded.

Troy turned, hands still in his pockets at her door.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He said simply.

"We need to talk about what happened…About what I said…" She appealed.

"Not now, we don't. Enjoy your time with your friend. See you soon." He winked, heading out and leaving her pensive about the following day.

--

"Shrimp?" Tom offered, holding forth a battered shape to Gabi as she stared off into the distance somewhere, having eaten her starter in three big mouthfuls.

She smiled faintly. "Thanks, Tommy."

"Hey, you know, it's not all bad. At least he's talking to you." Tom reasoned.

"He's right." She sighed. "I have been a total mess since I came back from visiting dad."

Tom considered the dark haired girl before him and watched her black lashes flick down as she fought with herself.

"Does he know, Gabi? Have you told him about your dad and stuff?" He wondered, knowing they had shared some of their experiences when they had hung out. She hadn't told him much about her dad, that subject seemed pretty much closed.

But he could tell it was affecting her, even affecting Troy by default. Her brown eyes met his, showing her surprise at his insight. And he saw her expression change, become closed off.

"It doesn't matter." She said gently, not wanting to ruin Tom's visit by harping on about Troy.

"It does to you…" He argued worriedly.

"So tell me, what are we gonna do next time I come stay with dad?" She changed the subject quickly.

"Gabi…" Tom persisted, tilting his head.

"I mean it, Tommy. Skating and washing cars is so last summer. We need a new activity." She broached, her bright face back in place.

He sighed, knowing it would take a whole lot more for her to truly open up. And he wasn't Troy so he knew it wouldn't be him that could comfort her.

"Well...let me think…" He smiled slowly. "How about fishing?"

Gabi widened her eyes and then rolled them. "You _are_ kiddingme!" She scoffed.

"What?! That's a perfectly good hobby…" He argued.

"Tom, you are such a geek!" She accused affectionately as they ate, falling back into their usual routine easily.

"Ah, but you're sitting with me, that makes you a geek by association…" He grinned and she wiped some cream from her dessert onto his nose in retaliation.

"Gabi the geek," she mused wryly as they finished their dinner and walked home.

--

"I really didn't think it would be this hard," Gabi commented as she hugged Tom briefly the next morning.

"Hey, you have the Wildcat to keep you company." He smiled shyly and stepped back.

"If he doesn't hate my guts." She pressed her lips together.

"If he does, he's crazy." Tom assured.

"Write me!" She called as he got into the car and she waved sadly.

Julia came up behind her and touched her shoulder as she watched the car disappear.

"What time do you want to go shopping for Troy's present?" She asked gently.

Gabi turned to face her mother. "I have something I need to do first." She explained and Julia nodded as she watched her walk inside.

---


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks everyone for the comments! I see all familiar names now :D**

**Stick with it, the randomness might end soon lol ;)**

**Chapter 10**

She was wrapped in his hoodie, the thick, warm material engulfing her tiny body reminding Troy of her vulnerability.

He knew something was up for her to even be wearing it; she normally fought him all the way on covering up.

She was sat on his skateboard, in the middle of his path, her feet pointed inwards cutely, her knuckles covered by the dragging sleeves of his top.

He watched her from the window for a few moments, hidden by the net curtain and he considered that things were changing between them. Only he didn't want to lose her, that much was certain.

"Put the poor girl out of her misery…" Lucy teased from behind him and he stepped back form the window, hands in his pockets as he faced his mom.

"I will…I'm just working out what to say." He shrugged.

"Anything I can help with?" She wondered.

"Jealousy, mom. It's not a pretty emotion and I seem to get a hell of a lot of it around Gabi." He mused, missing out the important details of their story.

Lucy smiled. "She's a beautiful girl; she's bound to have admirers. But she's sat outside your door in your shirt, Troy." She lifted her brows.

"I'm going to drive her away." He worried, rubbing above his eyebrow with his finger, trying to release the pain from his frown.

"You just have to tell her, that's all." Lucy encouraged, and then came over to ruffle his hair. "I'm sure she gets jealous too."

He ducked away from her affection with a blush. "Maybe." He shrugged.

"You've not been right since you started this courting thing…are you sure it's working?" She hedged.

"That is the least of our problems." He mused, turning on a sharp twist to open his door and rescue his girlfriend from the lawn.

"Hi." She said, her big brown eyes meeting his as she nervously pressed her lips together. Her hair was bound in a bun high on her head and he hadn't felt this ache to hold her since she'd gone away.

All those nights in his bed, all those days without her. And yet here she was; right in front of him and he still felt the same separation.

"Oh, here…" She said, getting up, handing him his prized possession. "I was keeping it warm…" She joked lamely.

"I was just thinking how lucky my board is, to wake up to you sitting on him," he curled a wry smile from one side of his mouth, placing his board down beside him on the grass.

She looked uncomfortable and he kicked himself for the innuendo's he kept popping out.

"Would you have liked it to be you..?" She suggested, allowing a little smile back.

"Just be nice to wake up with you." He said softly, scraping his toe on the path, fidgeting his hands in his pockets.

His sports shorts and basketball jersey weren't his usual clothes for when he met her, but she had arrived unannounced.

"I miss that." She said. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Tom…"

"Hey," he shrugged. "We had a fight; I wasn't the easiest person to talk to." He allowed.

"Our first fight." She acknowledged.

His blue eyes rolled around the lawn, finally lifting to her face, tracing down her body swamped by his top.

He couldn't be angry at her if he tried but he felt like he was jumping through hoops for her and he couldn't keep on doing that.

"I'm sorry." She offered, her small hands rubbing together by the knuckles and her voice wavered, betelling her upset as she bit her lip in an attempt not to cry.

With all the will in the world, he couldn't ignore her. So, like the gentleman he'd been brought up to be, he stepped forward, encasing her small body in his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head and waiting for her to respond. She clung her arms around his middle, buried her face in his chest and squeezed her eyes shut.

"You never deserved any of this. I just keep punishing you and you never did anything wrong." She admitted.

"Shh…" He soothed, stroking her hair with his large, comforting hand, clutching her body to his with his other strong arm.

"I would understand if you wanted to have a break or something." She offered, peering up at him.

Troy pursed his lips, truly amused at her suggestion.

"You really think I can get rid of you?" He asked with amusement.

"If you wanted." She replied.

"But then I'd have Kelsey making a move on me and Melody…" He shuddered, still holding her tight.

"But they wouldn't treat you like I have…" She argued sadly.

"And I wouldn't love them." He argued back, his blue eyes sure.

"I don't deserve your love." She said brokenly.

"But you have it anyway. Now tell me something…" His curly smile began as he changed the subject.

"Okay…" She rolled her lips together.

"Where are those insanely sexy black jeans of yours? I barely got a chance to appreciate your ass in those..?" He asked with a sexy glint in his eyes, folding her right into his body and breathing in her smell.

"I have them still. I'll wear them again." She promised.

"Well that's good to know." He answered, sighing as he held her and she pulled away again, lifting her hands to cup his neck and reach for a kiss; forgetting their chasteness while she delved her tongue into his mouth and begged for him to show an answering desire.

Gabi moaned as his fingers curled around her small waist in the way that told her he was itching to remove her top and then he ran them down, around her back, finally cupping her backside as he brought her closer to him. A familiar rush of excitement and desire shivered over his skin.

"You almost had me!" He joked as he pulled away.

"I did?" She asked hopefully. "In this sweater as well?" She wondered. "Maybe I should wear it all the time."

"You're becoming hard to resist Gabi Montez." He admitted.

"Then surely it's time to give in…" She suggested, her fingers curling into his hair playfully as he cupped her to him.

"Nuh-uh." He shook his head. "We haven't even got to third base yet. Another date." He instigated.

Gabi rolled her eyes, pushing his arms away. "Okay, sure…" She agreed lazily.

"Wear those nice jeans, huh?" He asked with a twinkled look that she returned.

"Whatever you say, Troyby." She smiled.

"Pick you up tonight? What do you fancy doing?" He asked as she flipped his discarded board beneath her toes.

Her dark look under her lashes had his body hardening at the very thoughts running through her mind. Images flashed through his mind from memory of her every curve, her every sensitive spot.

He knew when he kissed her in the in curve of her waist that she would curl delightedly; he knew if he gently sucked her neck, she would moan loudly and grab his hair; making him ache and throb like he didn't know was possible. He knew that when he wrapped her in his arms when she was sated; that he was the happiest he had ever been.

"Poole?" She suggested and he grinned, thinking what a great view of her butt he would get.

"Perfect!" He said and she left then, still hugged into his top, but definitely bouncier than when he had found her.

--

His eyes weren't the only eyes keenly tracing the silhouette of his girlfriend. Luckily, he was too distracted to realise that almost every boy in the pool hall was transfixed by the dark beauty reaching for a difficult shot.

It was those jeans she was wearing, the ones he had asked for and her racer back vest rode up her back at each bend, showcasing her cute dimples above her fleshy behind.

She was still slim, her legs and small waist reminded him, but as she turned, twisting her body to bite her thumb becomingly in a typically girly manner; he couldn't help but enjoy the in and out shape she possessed.

"I think I missed." She pouted once she had stopped biting on her thumb.

This, in Gabi language, meant she expected him to go over and show her what to do. And that's when he regretted suggesting this date. Because now she could get the upper hand and play his game to her advantage, pushing his control to the limit.

His fingers ghosted up her side, wrapping around her ribs a little as he stood behind her and leaned to whisper in her ear.

"Just remember, hips apart," he instructed, placing both his hands there, similar to when they had danced; only this time he couldn't take this agonising pleasure any further.

"Bend gently…" He carried on, despite his raging body, which was now protruding into the softness of her backside as she leaned over. It earnt him a quick look over her shoulder at him; and then she milked the moment, pressing her lips together Megan-Fox-style as she faked innocence.

His moan was buried on a tight swallow, his hands glued in position at her waist.

"What now?" She practically panted and Troy closed his eyes, taking a breath.

"Now I have to go and remind myself we're in public…" He said honestly, trying to run unsexy images through his mind to abate his rigid state.

She giggled- of all things- and then straightened, twisting to link her arms at his neck. She pouted her lower lip teasingly.

"Is Troyby not enjoying the Poole game?" She asked in a baby voice.

His lips were curled upward, his eyes animated but avoiding hers.

"I'm fine!" He lied. "Why wouldn't I be…" He added drily.

"Wanna go make out?" She suggested as his hands held her close, his attraction still evident through his combat shorts.

Gabi had to admit, the black vest he was wearing to flash his lovely arms was causing her own body some uncontrollable urges. Having his hard, irresistible body that close, rubbing against her with light friction only served to remind her of the feel of him.

How he tasted when she kissed his skin, how he liked to be touched and stroked.

"We should at least finish the game…" He suggested, leaning down to kiss her, his thumbs brushing her bare waist.

She let their lips meet, then unconnected her hands and lined up for the shot once more, rendering him unneeded as he stepped back. He quickly sat, folding his leg flat atop the other to hide his arousal.

Her shot hit the ball perfectly, knocking it into the pocket. She worked around the table, repeating the action until every ball but the black was pocketed and he sat, astounded.

"You can play?" He asked incredulously.

"Sure," she shrugged. "My dad taught me years ago." She smiled wanly and he realised then she had duped him real good.

He stood, too turned on to even care as he held his large hand out to her, feeling affection course through him as her fingers twined with his.

"What's third base again?" She whispered, tiptoeing to brush her fingers into his hair.

"Whatever you want it to be…" He allowed in a tight voice, letting her lead the way as they left the hall; and the male counterparts staring after them.

--

Her hands were climbing under his top; their lips were fusing with an aching passion that they had both pushed to one side for too long.

He could only hold her wriggling form as she lay atop him on their favoured bean bag in his tree house, the cold summer night air blowing through the openings with a strong breeze he both thanked and hated.

Every time Gabi caught a waft of the cool air, she shivered and her nipples hardened against his chest, causing him to curse the weather. But without it, he would be burning up by now; surely just a cinder left of his body that was ablaze with the very blood that pumped around him so furiously.

She straddled him, encouraging his hands to cup her backside, his fingers tracing the band of her jeans and the tempting flesh surrounding the material.

She framed his face with her hands as she lifted them from his half-raised top, writhing in his lap to bring his heat against her deliciously.

"Are you sure we can't break the rules?" She begged breathily. "I broke the rules for you…" she tempted.

Troy had three seconds to decide. His body wanted this, he wanted this; more than anything he had ever wanted. His hard, throbbing arousal jutting into her only proved that.

But he had made a promise, of sorts, and he was going to keep it, if it was the last thing he did.

He groaned with the effort of denying her, rolling her over onto the bag as he climbed up, every muscle in his body tense and tight.

He ran a hand through his hair, standing in the cool blast the window of the tree house offered.

"Let's wait." He said then, quietly but firmly.

"For what, Troy?" She wondered, laid in the bean bag, twiddling her hair as she wriggled uncomfortably against the dampness she felt between her thighs.

"I don't know." He said honestly. "But we've only been back a few weeks; we're still figuring things out."

"What's to figure? I love you, you love me. We enjoy having sex. There's nothing to stop us."

He turned, eyeing her. "You're still learning to trust me."

It would be so easy to remove her clothes and sink into her waiting body, hear her sounds and experience that other worldly sensation all over again, but he knew they still had some catching up to do. Some emotional ties still to make.

She pressed her lips together, rolling over on the bean bag to avoid his gaze.

"Hey…" He said softly, walking over, crouching to touch her back with his open hand.

"You're right. I still have trust issues. And I know how much it means to you that I trust you. I know how important sex is." She allowed, rolling back to face him so he could pitch into the bean bag next to her and hold her.

"We'll know, the same as before; when it's right." He vowed.

"It feels right, right now." She ventured with sad brown eyes.

"You still feel like I don't want this?" He asked incredulously.

She shifted awkwardly under his tender hands.

"I just think it's weird that a 16 year old boy can have so much control. Especially when I don't." She grumbled.

Troy rolled onto his back, pressing his hands into his head.

"We're back to this again."

Gabi realised she had unfairly accused him of only being interested in sex, when she was practically the same. And now she was even more unfairly accusing him of not being interested in sex, when he clearly was; but she couldn't help it. It was like she had some deep need inside her to feel irresistible.

He had proved she was, they'd had a great night out and she had loved teasing him and he had played along; but something told her that he wouldn't put up with this up/down nature of hers much longer.

Feisty, sexy, sad he could handle.

But she was being impossibly hard on him and she couldn't help herself.

"I didn't mean it like that." She assured, getting up and offering her hand. "I just meant that I'm frustrated…that I want this little test to be over." She amended.

"Well here's your test…" He lifted his brows, rising before her, cupping her backside. "Resist me for a little longer." He flicked her his trademark grin.

"Oh, you think I can't?" She wondered.

"You seem to be struggling." He commented.

"Pssh! So do you!" She argued playfully, hands on his chest.

"So did we reach third base?" He husked.

"I'm sure third base includes touching body parts…" She argued.

"Hey, I touched plenty of yours…" He smiled happily.

"And I was cut off before I had a chance…" She mused.

He shrugged. "Next time…"

"Ok, take me home, Troyby. My mom will wonder where I am."

"Yes ma'am."


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks For comments, please keep posting them! ;)**

**Chapter 11**

"Hey Gabi, you're going to Troy's birthday do, right?" Max asked and Gabi froze.

"His birthday do?" She questioned as she faced Troy's friend, who ambled out of East High while she waited for her boy to finish showering from practice.

"Yeah…bowling, Saturday." Max frowned.

"Wow…" She folded her arms, feeling the hurt burn up her body and flush her cheeks. "I guess I'm not invited."

"Of course you are! I told him to tell you…" Max joked, shifting his bag on his shoulder nervously.

"I guess he forgot…" She mumbled.

Max looked around for his buddy, hoping he would resolve this misunderstanding. He hadn't meant to make Gabi look sad like she did. Her small hands twisted her long hair as she stood pensively, leaning on the side in her small shorts and high wedged shoes.

"Hey!" He called to another member of the squad as they appeared from the doors of the school. "Where's Troy?" Max asked.

The boy shrugged. "He left ages ago…"

Max frowned. "Damn, I thought he was behind me."

"He left?" She asked, really feeling quite embarrassed now.

"Look, don't you worry, it's probably all a misunderstanding, he forgets to tie his shoelaces most days…" Max joked and Gabi met his gaze.

"He's keeping something from me." She guessed.

"Oh, I don't think so, he's just busy, that's all."

"He never stood me up before." She squinted her eyes.

"Come on, I'll walk you home." Max offered, sticking out his elbow for her to take.

Gabi latched on and smiled shyly as she began to talk with Troy's friend.

"Do you really think he just forgot me?" She asked cutely as he escorted her home.

"Gabi, he couldn't forget you, you mean too much to him." Max smiled.

Gabi nodded, changing the subject.

"So are you good at bowling? I need someone worse than me or I'll look silly." She teased.

"I'm alright." He shrugged, fidgeting with his bag strap again.

"Will you show me?" She asked.

"Nope." He chuckled.

"Why not?" She asked offended.

"Because your boyfriend would smack the shit outta me." He shared.

"He would not; I'd tell him not to." She teased.

"I'm sure that would convince him!" Max chuckled again.

"Well, we are friends." She argued.

"Yeah, I guess we are." He smiled. "So did you get his present yet?" He wondered.

"Yeah, me and my mom went on Sunday. I didn't know what to get." She admitted.

"He's pretty easy going…" Max offered.

"We're here." She said of her home and turned to Max. "Thanks for walking me."

"Anytime." He assured with a shy smile.

"I'll see you at the bowling." She said before strutting into her house with another kiss blown over her shoulder.

--

Troy closed his cell phone and cursed himself, Max's teasing voice echoing in his ears as he realised he had forgotten about Gabi.

He didn't know how he had managed to double book himself and he considered how his hobby was beginning to take over his life.

Now he had upset his girl and all because he was afraid to tell her.

He knocked on her balcony once he reached her house; rubbing his hands nervously on the front of his jeans.

She opened her windowed door; a sure sign she didn't hate him completely and she was gorgeous in soft pyjamas.

"Oh, you remembered me, then." She said, leading the way into her room.

"I'm sorry I missed you after school." He said as she sat on one foot, on the edge of her bed.

He had an image of walking over there and climbing above her, pushing her into the firm, soft mattress with his muscled body.

"Max walked me." She said succinctly.

"Yeah, he told me."

"He told me about the bowling…" She led and he knew she was hurt but he had no excuses and he couldn't tell the truth.

"Ah…I forgot!" He said, as he balled his hand into a fist and placed his thumb to his forehead, sitting next to her.

"It's your birthday on Saturday, Troy." She peeked at him worriedly.

"I know, god, I'm sorry…" He sighed

"Are you okay? I mean, you do want me to be there, don't you?" She checked.

He let out a short breath through his nose, encompassing her into a hug.

"Of course I do. I absolutely do." He said gently, feeling bad at Gabi's hurt when it was all due to his stupid self defence lessons.

Gabi was quiet in his arms and he looked down onto her dark curls.

"Why do I feel like we're a hundred miles apart even though you're in my arms?" He wondered.

Gabi looked at him, knowing she was keeping her own secret, thinking this might be a good time to air it. But she also knew how he would react and she couldn't bear to hurt him.

"I have something to tell you…" She hedged, wondering if it would be better to wait until after his birthday.

"Gabi!" Julia called from the stairs, knocking on her door as Gabi quickly crossed the room and greeted her mom.

"Troy's here." She said quickly.

"Oh, can he not knock on the door, then?" Julia asked, annoyed.

"I asked him to climb up. It was late and I figured you might be annoyed." Gabi said honestly.

Julia sighed. "Your father is on the phone. Although god only knows why he feels the need to call at this hour; maybe he and Troy are in cohorts." Julia muttered.

"Mom, are you ok?" Gabi squinted.

"I have a headache." Julia sighed.

"Then go to bed, I'll talk to dad then go to bed." She promised.

"And Troy?" Julia wondered.

"Can he stay?" Gabi appealed.

"Can I see him?" Julia asked and Gabi peeled back her door, revealing the young man sitting awkwardly on her bed.

"Hey Mrs. M!" He smiled with a wave.

"Your mom doesn't mind if you stay over?" Julia checked.

He shrugged. "She's cool."

Julia nodded. "Okay, then. Just this once." She allowed and Gabi bounded down the stairs to speak to her father.

--

"We are _so_ gonna rock this comp!" Aidan enthused with a boyish whoop as he skated into the warehouse at the back of the station that Gabi had unearthed for her and Troy.

"Calm down, Aidy." She pet-named him.

"Hey, thanks for not bailing on me…" Aidan offered as he span round on his inlines, facing her.

"Just remember where to keep those hands." She warned.

"Are you okay?" Aidan wondered then.

Gabi flicked him a look. Did she seem okay? Probably not. Not only did she not quite get round to telling Troy about this little arrangement she had with Aidan; but she had kissed him and spooned with him as though there weren't a worry in her little, crumbling world.

Sooner or later this lie was going to catch up with her and she didn't know what to do. Everything was out of her control now. Troy was getting fed up of her hot-cold switches, her dad was busy back in Indianapolis, preparing for her next visit; after Troy's birthday. Tom was back in Tammi's waiting arms, Taylor had vanished off the face of the earth; and if she even got within five feet of Kelsey, she'd be asked about Troy.

She didn't have much choice but to spill her problems to Aidan; but it wasn't going to come without some sharing from his side.

"Are you?" She asked back, defectively.

He flattened his lips, taking her into the stance for the start of the routine, his hand perfectly gentlemanly at the base of her spine which she had covered with a long, baggy top.

"Well I spent the whole of last year being an asshole and had the sense whipped into me this summer, other than that; I'm groovy."

"Whipped into you?" She hedged nervously.

He closed his eyes, grimacing. "My father's idea of how to get me disciplined. He ran me ragged on his army assault course…"

"Wow." She said softly. "That's kinda harsh…"

Then she realised she was feeling sympathy for him and quickly switched it off.

"Well, he was right, I was an asshole." He admitted, flinging her into another intricate position.

"True." She agreed, smiling as he faced her.

"We should put some pole dancing into this routine…" He suggested.

"Nice try, pervert." She returned, letting his strong body roll her to the ground where she pushed up from her arms into a back flip.

"Watch the face!" He said of her skates.

"Oops, did I miss?"

"So what did he do?" Aidan asked of Troy.

"Nothing." She answered, honestly, not embellishing.

"Come on, he must have done something cos you are one cranky chick…"

"I'm lying to my boyfriend Aidan. Just so I can do what I love most with a boy I hate." She added.

Gabi was reminded how she had avoided confessing her secret to Troy; having come up from her call with her dad to find him asleep and they had woken with time to kiss and cuddle before school beckoned.

"You don't have to lie to him." He argued.

"Well I do, or I wouldn't be here, doing this. Not with you, at least." She arched her brow.

"Then how come you are? I know he hates me. I know you hate me; why bother?" He challenged.

She pursed her lips, hands on hips as she dropped her head to one side.

"Because you're good. And you deserve to be seen." She allowed. "And for some insane reason I like giving people a chance."

--

Gabi marched home with her arms folded and her head down, somehow thinking this would hide her in case Troy or anyone else saw her.

Her hidden activity was weighing heavy on her mind but they were so close to the competition now and Aidan was behaving; there was no sense in cancelling the whole thing just because he'd made a few mistakes last year.

"Hey, Montez." Called a male voice, one Gabi hated even more than Aidan.

"Drop dead, Chad." She warned, not stopping.

"Hey, slow down…" He said, jogging to catch her at which point she began sprinting.

The fear was sharp, biting as she outran him for a while, but then he caught up. She only had a short way to go; if only she could get to the lighted pavement where she could be seen….

"Get off me!" She warned bitterly as his hand caught her arm.

"We didn't finish what we started." He grinned.

"I did." She smiled back gloatingly and he flinched for a second.

"Someone told me you were looking for this…" He said, holding out his hand which was fisted.

Her dark eyes met his in a stare.

"Take it, then." He insisted.

She uncrossed her arms, ventured her hand out, palm up. He dropped a small chain into her hand and she realised it was her necklace. She inspected it and the broken clasp had been fixed.

She didn't speak as she looked at him again.

"Be careful round here after dark." He half warned, half advised.

She nodded, walking quickly the remainder of the way home, her fear only showing when she stepped onto her veranda and her hands began shaking uncontrollably.

"Nice evening?" Troy enquired from the corner seat, making her jump and turn sharply. For a second she wondered if he had found out.

"Oh my god, you scared me!" She admitted frightfully, peering toward him, thinking how glad she was that he was here because she could really use a hug right now.

"I told your mom I would wait out here." He said, standing with his hands in his jeans pockets. He was hiding under his fringe and she noticed his tense stance.

"Are you okay?" She worried.

"Yeah, just achy. Overdid the basketball." He explained, not meeting her gaze.

She nodded, knowing he was hiding something, not wanting to push it for fear of her own secret being revealed.

"It's late…" She ventured, kind of lost for what to say.

"Hey…where'd' you get that?" He asked suddenly, walking over and fingering her necklace, back where it belonged around her neck.

She impressed her lips. "Chad." She stated.

His blue eyes flashed like fire. "He was around here? Did he hurt you?" He demanded.

"No, he just gave me this." She promised.

"You looked scared when you came up here…your hands are shaking." He accused, taking them now into his own warm ones.

She nodded, biting her lip.

"I was. But it's okay, nothing happened." She assured.

He hugged her then, just what she wanted and the very feel of his arms around her comforted her in a way no-one else could.

"It's the big family dinner tomorrow…" He hedged, pulling away.

"I know." She replied with a ventured smile.

"Pick you up at seven?" He asked.

"Okay, I'll be ready." She assured. "What are you wearing?"

He shrugged. "Some kind of suit."

"I can't wait to meet everyone." She smiled.

"See you tomorrow night then." He bent to kiss her; hardly able to keep his hands from sliding down her back.

"Do you want your present tomorrow or on Saturday?" She checked as she pulled away and laid the side of her face on his chest, enjoying their closeness.

"Well it's not officially my birthday till Saturday so I'll wait." He suggested.

"Okay. Good night boyfriend." She sighed, still wrapped in his arms.

"Good night, beautiful." He kissed her hair then let her unlatch from him as she wandered into her house.


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks for the comments man you guys had me smiling widely!**

**Chapter 12**

He'd never seen anything like her in his life. If he could imagine the most beautiful angel, dressed head to toe in gold shimmery material then he might come close to imagining how Gabi looked right now.

Her dark locks were curled softly, pinned up to accentuate the soft curve of her jaw and cheekbones, her dark eyes were highlighted with gold eye shadow and darker liner. Her breasts were showcased perfectly at the deep V and the material; which shone at every move and clung to her rounder hips in a way that mesmerised him.

"I can't take you to meet my family looking like that…" He whispered, his hands not knowing where to touch as he stretched them toward her at her doorway.

"Hi Troy." She smiled knowingly, grabbing her clutch and calling to her mom before she shut the door behind her, crowded in by Troy who hadn't moved.

His eyes seemed to be glued to her chest and he brought his hands up to cup her face, thumbs touching her cheeks.

His kiss was soft but drew her into his body where he carefully glided his fingers down her sides, afraid to touch the amazing creation she was wearing.

"That's a great dress." He complimented with his cheeky smile.

"You look handsome." She stated, fixing his tie, meeting his sky blue gaze that matched his pale blue shirt.

"We should go. Before I change my mind." He grinned.

"My mom said I could stay at yours; because it might finish late." Gabi offered.

"I know she called my mom and sent your stuff over so we could just enjoy ourselves." He commented, taking her hand and leading her towards his truck.

"That's weird. I mean, they hardly let us stay over before." She frowned.

"It's because we're not having sex." He answered honestly.

"How do they know?" She wondered.

"They don't, I guess. We can milk this for months." He beamed, helping her into his truck and getting in to drive them to the restaurant.

"I'm so nervous!" Gabi admitted as she played with her hands in her lap.

He smiled at her. "You really don't need to be. I'm gonna be embarrassed as hell tonight."

"I'm sure you won't be…" She assured as they reached the restaurant and made their way inside where a large group of adults were already seated.

"Hey everyone!" Troy greeted them, still holding Gabi's hand tightly as he hugged his mom and dad.

He went around the table, greeting his family and introducing Gabi proudly to each member.

"Well, I have a seat right here, Gabi…" His grandfather offered, making her giggle.

"Oh, thank you, Burt." She blushed, sliding into the seat, looking up pensively at Troy but he was taken away by one of his aunt's for a moment.

"Don't worry, we don't bite." Burt offered.

Gabi smiled at him, feeling a little nervous in her spangled dress. She didn't want everyone to think she was revealing too much.

"I'm just a little nervous, meeting Troy's family." She admitted.

"You're a beautiful young girl. How did you meet our grandson?" Burt asked.

"Oh, Burt!" Mabel interrupted from beside him, leaning across to touch Gabi's hand which clutched the edge of the table in a death grip. "Don't interrogate the poor girl!" His wife chided.

"We met through a skating competition." She offered. "I was teaching him how to dance." She added.

"Dance?" Mr. Bolton asked across the table, causing Gabi to freeze and panic.

Hadn't Troy mentioned his dad not allowing him to learn to dance? She squeezed her lips together and kept a blank face.

"Just for the moves, for skating." She hastened to add.

"He got some lessons from Mrs. Thorpe as well." Jack Bolton grumbled.

"Well, he'll be whizzing you round the dance floor later then!" Burt chuckled and Gabi only then realised behind them there was a dance floor.

"Save one for the old man, though." Burt asked and Mabel swiped him.

"So, tell us about Troy, Gabi. What do you think of our favourite grandchild?" She broached and Burt laughed. "I thought I wasn't allowed to interrogate!" He objected.

"You're not, I am." Mabel interjected.

Gabi watched them bantering and felt a little tug of affection wash over her. Once upon a time her parents had had that natural relationship and things may have changed between them; but she loved seeing couples who felt comfortable together.

"Troy is amazing." She said then, shyly. "He's great at basketball, I love watching him play…" Her face lit up as she imagined him moving around the court with ease; his hair all messy with sweat and his face so concentrated. "He's a great skater, too. I like that I can talk to him. That he listens." She finished.

Mabel was smiling proudly and Gabi felt a warm hand curl onto her shoulder, looking up to find Troy there.

"Hey." He said easily, sitting down and Gabi smirked, wiping lipstick from his cheek.

"Another woman?" She asked teasingly.

He rubbed his face vigorously. "Ugh, aunts!" He complained.

They ate in noisy company, frequent remarks and jokes flying across the table. Some stories of Troy's childhood came out and Gabi relished being privy to this insight of him before she knew him.

There was the time he tried to cycle down the side of a mountain and came careening off; earning his several scars that he pointed out to her; all bar one on his tummy which she had already seen-and kissed.

There was the time he wouldn't be parted from his Action Man doll; even for communion and went up to get confirmed with the doll firmly in his hand.

There was also a time he fell in love with the girl next door and doggedly followed the older girl everywhere, eventually befriending her and she would take him home by the hand, but he never once spoke to her and that made Gabi laugh the hardest. He hadn't been so shy in talking to her.

Meals finished, chatting subsiding, Gabi looked around the table as they wound down.

"Troy, honey…" Mabel called and he leaned back to see her.

"Yes, Grandma?" He asked with a winning smile.

"Why don't you take Gabi for a dance?" She asked with a warm smile.

Troy smiled with one side of his mouth, pushing his seat back to stand. He held out his hand to Gabi.

"Will you dance with me?" He asked dashingly.

"I'd love to." She replied, earning them an 'aw' from Mabel as they walked to the dance floor.

Troy took her into his arms with ease, letting his hand drop low on her hip as he curled his irresistible smile.

"How long do we have to pretend to dance?" He wondered, placing his cheek against her hair as he brought her close, wanting to slow dance even though the music was fast enough to waltz to.

"For at least one song…" She replied drily.

He nodded, moving back, twirling her before him, and enjoying all angles of her shimmered body.

"That is one heck of a dress." He said gently as she moved back in, smiling up at him.

"I got it from Indianapolis. My dad's friend makes them." She explained.

"I'm glad you came tonight. Even though I am still really embarrassed." He blushed.

Gabi felt her stomach curl and felt that little stab of guilt for lying to him about Aidan and the competition.

"You know, last night…" She began, sighing.

"May I cut in?" Came Burt's voice as the song ended and Gabi shot Troy a look, partnering with his granddad for another song as he danced with his mom.

After what felt like forever, she finally made her way back into his arms. He didn't pretend to dance formally; he took her hands and linked them at his neck, resting his fingers into the small of her back.

He leaned down, kissed her lips gently and placed his cheek against her hair as they moved with the music.

Lucy touched her son's shoulder, bringing him from the bliss of dancing with Gabi.

"I'm taking your grandparent's home. I'll see you later." She said and Troy nodded, curling Gabi close to him as she hugged her arms around his neck and fiddled with his hair. She wasn't sure why, but his chest felt harder, his arms stromger at her waist.

"Have you been working out?" She wondered lightly.

"Ah, a bit…" He excused quickly, then changed the subject. "What were you going to tell me about last night?" He wondered, feeling her tense.

"Oh…it was nothing." She lied, biting her lip before she lifted her face to meet his gaze.

"Are you sure? If it's about Chad, I can handle it." He assured.

"I was just going to say sorry for being late." She said gently.

"Okay." He answered, not convinced but not pursuing it.

"I think the birthday boy is owed a kiss…" Gabi smiled slowly, testing their boundaries once again.

He smiled back, equally slowly. "Oh, really?" He lifted his brows.

"Yup." She nodded. "You can't go your whole birthday without a kiss…"

"You know what?" He asked. "I agree." He bent to meet her mouth and found their slow kiss excruciatingly tempting. He pulled away and let out a small sigh.

"Now I know why we don't do that." He mused.

"I had a perfect present for you, too…" She smiled felinely, tipping her head.

"Don't…" He warned quickly. "Don't tell me what you have on under that dress…"

She tiptoed to his ear. "Or what I _don't _have on…" She whispered, twisting to lead him off the dance floor by his hand, where he followed with an audible groan.

"You just love to tease me, don't you, beautiful?" He asked.

They headed out and climbed into a cab, huddling together in the back seat.

"Happy Birthday, Troyby." She kissed his cheek.

"Thank you for a great night." He commended. "The family nightmare was bearable with you."

"Any day, Wildcat." She assured and cuddled her arms around his middle once more.


	13. Chapter 13

**It's a long one, it's also the last one, just the Epilogue left ;)**

**Chapter 13**

The bowling alley was buzzing. The lights were flashing, music blaring and Gabi came in with Max, appreciating their handiwork from earlier.

They had decorated the lane with balloons and banners and Troy was already there with the other players and girls from the pool party.

And then there was another figure.

Gabi paused and squinted, knowing the outline, feeling the fear crawl up her skin and land on her face in a nervous sweat.

Chad.

What was he doing here, she wondered?

She flicked a look to Max and frowned, then began approaching the two boys, seeing straight away that there was tension in the air.

"Troy?" She questioned, looking at Chad while she spoke.

Troy's face showed his utter hurt; his eyes barely holding his anger as they burned into her and she gasped at the intensity of his stare.

Oh god, he _knew._He knew about her and Aidan! Chad had told him, that's why he was there! But how did _he_ know?

She took a breath as she quickly calculated the scene and finally met his gaze once more.

"I have to tell you something." She ventured anyway.

"I can't even look at you right now!" He warned in a low tone, his tense body a barrier to any advances she might want to make toward him.

"What did he tell you?" She asked instead, her brown eyes steeling for his reaction.

"The truth, Gabi. That you've been meeting up with Aidan behind my back. What did you think would happen? That you could have two boyfriends and get away with it?" He demanded roughly.

"I'm not seeing him!" She shot back quickly. "It's not like that!"

She turned to confront Chad and found him smirking at her, before he turned to go. She flew after him, about to latch onto him and take her anger out on him, but found Max there to stop her.

She took three deep breaths and turned back to Troy, meeting Max' gaze.

"Can you give us a minute?" She asked him. He nodded and shepherded the other party guests away, leaving her to sigh out her frustration.

"Do you know what hurts me the most?" Troy laughed once, shortly, without humour. "That you took him to our place, our special place. God, I should have known this would happen!" He burst out.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She called back, horrified.

"You know what it means…" He challenged and she frowned, hurt by his accusation, tears coming to her eyes at the utter mess she had created.

She looked to her hands, then back at him.

"Its just skating, I swear to you. No matter what you think of me, I would never cheat on you." She beseeched.

He laughed bitterly, but she could see his own emotions in his watering eyes.

"You just had to get it somewhere didn't you?" He accused and Gabi squinted in fury at him, stunned at his harsh words.

"If you think I'm going to stand here while you accuse me of cheating on you, you can think again! I did wrong. But I don't deserve to be called a slut!" She argued hotly.

"I can't believe you lied to me!" He returned heatedly.

"You did too! When you didn't meet me, when you were busy with no reason!" She threw back.

She may be right but that didn't take away from her betrayal. He fisted his hands, stepping toward her, forcing her to take a step back.

"I didn't cheat on you, though did I?" He repeated slowly.

"And I didn't cheat on you!" She screamed back, her frustration pouring out. She was frustrated at herself for this whole thing getting out of hand and she was frustrated at his assumption she would cheat on him.

"Then why didn't you tell me, why keep it a secret?" He challenged, every muscle in his body strung tightly.

"Because it's Aidan! Because I know how you feel about him and I had to do this for _me,_ Troy." She explained.

"Since you got back, you just keep testing me over and over…" He looked bewildered. "And I _get it,_ Gabi. I get it and I was willing to wait. But now? Now I wonder what the heck I was waiting for. All you ever did was blame me for your dad leaving. I can _never _measure up as far as you're concerned. I'm never going to be good enough!" He challenged, his true feelings spilling out now.

Her eyes watered, her own hands balled with her hurt, with his hurt so clearly spelled out.

"I never meant to hurt you!" She argued, her pain ripping at her, making her breaths tight and stabbing. She knew he was making a valid point but she still couldn't find the words to describe her feelings about her dad. Instead she thought about how she felt, what she could say to him to persuade him to listen. "_I love you, Troy,_" she swore.

His eyes were cold, like ice that reflected a perfectly cloudless sky. Moments passed where his gaze just sliced through her and she realised he wasn't going to give. She twisted to walk away, her face pained and her sigh frustrated and angry.

She stormed out of the bowling alley and headed home; the shortest route from here and one where she could cry out all of her pain and really punish herself for what she had done. She was almost there; she was running up her veranda steps with hot tears streaming down her face, taking gulping breaths between angry sobs when she sensed a person behind her.

Gabi gasped as Troy caught her wrist and stopped her. He flicked his gaze over her short white dress and felt the familiar rush of desire prickle his skin. There was something about the way she was all angry and her eyes were sparking that called to his inner most need for her.

"Why do you keep pushing me away?" He asked desperately as he stepped forward, tightening his arms around her possessively and he bent his head to kiss her, claimingly, on her porch.

Gabi might have tried to struggle, she might have tried to battle her physical need for him while her emotions were so tangled and raw; but it was futile to fight.

It was inevitable that she succumbed to his mouth and let his hands hold her tightly to him, her body so needful of his hard muscles against her. His jeans were rough against her bare legs and the rasp tickled her thighs, beginning a tingling there she couldn't resist. His long sleeved top was thin, but still she wished it were out of her way as her clothed bodies met his with pressing contact.

She might be angry as hell with him right now, but she wanted him, oh god she wanted him she thought as she arched to the feel of his hands.

He ripped his mouth from hers; his breaths slashing heavily in and out and he flicked his fringe from his eyes and sighed, calming his violent breaths.

He stepped back, taking one hand and reaching it toward her. She flicked her eyes to his, knowing his question, knowing the answer as she tucked her small hand into his larger, protective one.

They stumbled into her room, arms and mouths fusing, urgently meeting and grasping at each other with need. Gabi wondered how she could possibly have forgone this pleasure as his lips brushed her bare neck and she curled into him delightedly, her body remembering every delicious tingle and wave of pleasure that his hands could bring.

His lips were hard, her caresses were brief but owned him; and they quickly rid their clothes, tangling together until they fell on the bed, still fighting in their kiss.

His mouth tried to claim hers, his body pressed her down into the mattress but her own lips fought back, her hands at his neck, in his hair, grappling, groping for more, for more punishing strokes of his tongue and for more of his muscled body against hers.

There were no words, only sounds as she cried out when his teeth bit into her while he sucked her skin at her neck, then suckled her breast, his thumbs soon replacing the soft pressure of his tongue with a firmer, more basic touch.

She was straining now, desperate to put this to an end, urging for their tension to be relieved, for their passion to be extinguished by the impending sex they were about to enjoy.

He wasn't holding back, his thumbs pressing into her ribs then lowering, finally brushing against her thighs, pressing them apart to make room for his body. She didn't care that he was winning, that he claimed her and took control. All she needed was him, his body inside hers, his strength against her hands.

His hair flopped into his face as he arched and pushed into her, finally ending this excruciating level of desire they had reached through their rough foreplay and his thrusts were no gentler.

It reminded Gabi of their first times together, when they had been so hot and desperate that tenderness often fell away to this almost bruising union. His sighs and moans into her ear only heightened her senses, only made her buck harder for him, made her want him deeper inside her.

He dropped a kiss to her neck, to her mouth, pressing firmly as he rocked and shuddered, his orgasm spilling his liquid inside of his condom as she clung to him and ached for her own peak.

He knew she hadn't reached it, he knew and he reached between them, pressing his thumb into her curls and pressing against her sensitive nub until he felt her quiver, heard her cries and smiled as her hands gripped his arms in the way she always did as she rode the crest of the wave that threatened to drown her.

Her voice had never sounded so beautiful; her throat had never looked so tempting. Her lips were swollen, bruised with his and she lay back, spent and satisfied.

Gabi waited while he cleaned himself and climbed to lie next to her. She wondered if that were it, if he would cast her out now; if he was just using her for that inimitable intimacy they shared and now he'd had her, she'd be rendered useless.

But he surprised her. Despite their harsh words, his belief she had cheated on him, her frustration at his accusation; despite it all, his arms wrapped around her and brought her close, just like he always did.

His lips touched her hair as he soundly fell asleep and Gabi began to sob quietly in his arms, the emotional last few hours finally washing out of her, falling on Troy's chest and drying against his warm skin.

Maybe, just maybe, she thought, they might be able to work through this.

--

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you…" Gabi began as they lay together, cuddling.

Troy had woken an hour after he had fallen asleep, his phone ringing insistently and Max quite rightly questioning where he had got to.

"I'm sorry I accused you of cheating on me…" He said, equally regretful, wincing as he even thought about how much that must have hurt her.

"It was for the skating competition. They chose a boy and a girl. I knew you'd be upset…I couldn't find the words…." She hedged.

"Wait a minute; is that what you were trying to tell me…?" He wondered now.

She nodded against his chest. "I didn't want to upset you before your birthday." She added meekly.

"How did Chad know?" He asked next.

"I really don't know… I wanted to tell you, I just didn't know how." She begged.

"I let Chad get to me; I let him come between us." He admitted, reaching over, brushing her cheeks with his thumbs.

"It's okay, I understand, I hurt you…" She acknowledged.

"I didn't have to hurt you, too." He sighed.

"Where have you been going, after school?" She asked gently.

"I've been learning kickboxing," he explained then. "That's why I was being evasive and why I forgot to meet you; because I wanted to learn it quickly…"

"Because of the attack?" She guessed.

"Yeah. I felt so weak and helpless and I wanted to do something to be strong for you…" He sighed again, leaning back and playing with her hair as he cuddled her once more.

"Wow." She said softly, smiling up at him. "That's amazing."

"Well, it might be if I didn't lie to you…" He smiled back. "But I didn't want you to think I was weak, too. Even though it's how I felt."

"Troy, I never expected you to be anything but who you are…" She assured, reaching up to brush his bangs back.

"I know…" He sighed. "I know I was an idiot."

"Not as much as me." She countered, pursing her lips to one side as his arm encased her shoulders. "I promise, I didn't know it would be him when we started try outs. I made it clear he couldn't touch me unless it was for the moves…" She explained.

"I gotta say, all kind of images hit me when Chad told me…" He winced.

She took a breath. "I get that, I'm sorry. But I promise, I didn't let anything happen that shouldn't. I still love your hands on me more than anyone else's." She added with a hopeful glance at him.

"You don't know how glad I am to hear that." He husked, dropping a kiss onto her hair.

"Can we start over?" She wondered worriedly.

"You know what? I'd like to try." He replied with a thankful sigh, holding her close.

"I love you. You're the only one." She promised.

"I love you too." He replied, tipping his head to hers as they fell asleep together.

--

This was it, Gabi thought as she skated up to the arena with Aidan, her nerves tripping in her belly as she thought of Troy watching them.

He had been to the park a few times to see their routine, see for himself that she was true to him and she proved it, making him feel even worse about the whole situation.

Things weren't quite back to normal but they were getting better. The courting was over, their games had ended and they were slowly building bridges, repairing the trust between them.

She had given him his present, later the next day when he had walked her home and he had been over-the-moon about the basketball she had bought him and even more delighted at the stickers she bought for his skateboard. She heard him whoop from the crowd and smiled at the sound of his voice. He was always there, right there, when she needed him.

"Go Gabi! Kick ass!" Troy called; watching her bite her lip nervously and seeing her lips curl into a smile.

"You're so sweet to her." Kelsey commented next to him and he flicked his gaze sideways, his brows rising with surprise.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world." He admitted, watching as his girlfriend do what she did best- shake her ass to the music, part of their intricate routine.

"Don't you mind, about Aidan?" She asked, knowing that Gabi had been more subdued than usual during cheer practice, knowing that Troy had missed his own birthday party with his friends because they had a fight.

He pressed his lips together, choosing his answer carefully. He had to admit, Aidan had changed. He'd met the guy, fronted him up, warned him not to mess with Gabi and watched them practise and he felt secure in the fact the boy was just her skate partner, nothing more.

But he still struggled somewhere deep down with her betrayal, with his inaccurate accusations of her and that night they had ended their celibacy still haunted him.

It was only two weeks ago, he could barely bring himself to think about it without the same wash of pain and guilt flooding his body.

"No, I'm cool with it." He answered guardedly.

Taylor gripped his hand that lay on his knee, showing her support.

"They work well together." She commented of her friend as Troy gave her a grateful smile.

"That they do." He agreed. "She better win this thing." He added proudly.

She headed straight for him, panting, breathless and a little sweaty. But she wanted his arms to be the first to hold her and they were as he met her at the side of the audience, away from watchful eyes.

She hugged him around the middle, her face against his chest.

"Well how did I do, Wildcat?" She asked, her brown eyes lifting to his.

"You were amazing." He assured, bending to kiss her.

"It's over now." She said carefully, her meaning deeper than her words.

"I know." He replied, tucking her hair back.

"I'm all yours again." She offered.

"I remember the days when you fought me every inch of the way on that claim!" He teased with a budding smile.

"I had to try…" She lifted her brows.

"I'm sorry I got jealous. I don't want you to ever feel like you can't tell me something because you're afraid of me." He said.

She fidgeted in his arms. "You do know I wouldn't cheat on you, don't you?" She asked back, their old argument coming to the fore.

He pressed his lips together, taking a breath as a pain stabbed him in the gut.

"I know that, I'm so sorry for saying that. I feel like nothing is the same because of me, because of what I said…" He hedged.

"We just need more time." Gabi suggested, touching his cheek.

"Can you forgive me at all?" He frowned, knowing that her hurt was the reason they hadn't made love since his birthday.

"Hey! Gabi! The results are being called…" Aidan skated over and looked sheepish as Troy glared at him. "Oh, sorry…" He apologised.

Gabi turned to him. "It's okay; I'll be over in one second." She said with a smile and faced Troy again.

"Wait for me, Wildcat?" She asked and he nodded, itching to know her answer. He loved how she had adopted calling him Wildcat instead of Troy.

"I'll be here." He promised.

She turned away, and then paused, looking over her shoulder.

"I already forgave you, Troy. Just don't give up on me?" She asked and turned to the stage again before he could reply.

His breath caught in his throat at her words, the same words he had used when he had carried her home, when he insisted upon courting her. She had heard him, he mused. She had heard him and she was passing him the same challenge. He knew without question that he couldn't give up on her if he tried.

She took to the stage, waited for the results, got more and more nervous as their names weren't called and then they were, as the winners. They did it!

She hugged Aidan quickly, jumping up and down in her excitement, going with him to collect the trophy as their friends surrounded the stage and encompassed them into the throng as they stepped down.

"Oh my gosh, well done!" Taylor beamed, hugging her small friend.

"Thank you!" Gabi beamed.

"Congratulations!" Kelsey offered, also hugging her.

Brenda and Max were there, along with Ben and the Arrows players and she spoke with them all. Only one person was missing and she wanted him to be the first to share her glory.

He was stood at the back of the bustle, hands in pockets.

"Hey, boyfriend." She smiled.

"Hey, beautiful." He replied, but remained still.

"Where's my hug?" She asked expectantly.

He held out his arms and crushed her against him, only this wasn't a congratulatory hug. This hug said so much more. She could feel it with the very squeeze of his arms. He was saying sorry and expressing his guilt, his absolute devastation at how things had changed between them.

And in that moment Gabi knew, she knew that she had to end his punishment of himself and she had to remind him why they were so good together.

"You were amazing, just like I said." He whispered in her ear.

She pulled back, curled him a smile. "Wanna go make out?" She arched her brow.

"What?" He asked back, shocked.

"I miss that thing you do when you grab my butt…" She led teasingly.

He smiled then, an incredulous, not quite believing smile.

"Now, though? Don't you want to celebrate?" He asked, lifting his chin to signal her friends.

She grabbed his hand and tugged him away, heading for his truck where she leaned him against the bonnet and pressed her hands to his chest.

"Consider this my prize…" She smiled, slowly unbuttoning his khaki military shirt to reveal his arms, his body wrapped in a white cotton vest.

He sat back against the hood of his truck, licked his lips as his hands tugged at her hips and brought her into the space between his thighs. She smiled as she stroked back the strands of his fringe.

"I'm just a consolation prize…" He sulked, lifting one hand to cup her neck, leaning forward to kiss her there. Her arms wound around his neck as she moaned softly.

"Oh no, you're the real deal." She assured, sinking her fingers into his hair as she tilted her face and kissed him, their mouths softly meeting, their tongues gently seeking as he tightened his loose hold from her hips; to wrap his arms around her waist.

She couldn't deny that the feeling of his arousal had her wanting him again, in that way she had always wanted him.

She was determined to ruin his hair, he mused as he pulled away from their hot, addictive kissing and her hands were messing or tidying his fringe- he didn't know which; and he didn't much care.

He crossed his wrists at her lower back, his blue eyes peeking at her as she continued to play with his hair.

"So, is this a good moment?" He wondered and she pursed her lips, her brown eyes meeting his and showing her tolerance.

"Sure, go for it." She said drily, but her mouth hid a smile and her dimple appeared.

He gently cupped her backside, holding her into his stiff body, enjoying her shape with his usual ardour.

"Mmm." He smiled as he closed his eyes and sighed out.

Her small hands dropped to his arms and gripped his muscles there which he tightened for her enjoyment. There were definite benefits to his new hobby, she realised.

"Can we go back to the tree house?" She wondered, her thumbs brushing over his arms and up to his shoulders.

"And leave your friends behind?" He reminded her, opening his eyes to see her look. Her wanton look.

"It's time, Troyby." She smiled, taking him back to that very day she stripped naked in his truck and he told her there would be a right time for them to be together.

He kissed her, tenderly, brushed the back of his fingers down her chest where his necklace still sat proudly.

"Whatever you say, beautiful," he said with a grin, taking her hand and helping her into the truck, walking round to his side and putting it into drive.

--

It was slower, more exquisite than she could imagine and his hands and lips were so soft, heavenly against her skin.

His mouth pressed a soft kiss over her nipple as she arched for him and she let her own lips brush down his muscled torso to reach his belly, smiling to herself as he groaned and reached for her.

She didn't let up, though, she took him into her mouth, pleased him in a way she had never pleased him before and watched his ultimate ecstasy as he gripped her hair and rocked his hips as he came.

He pulled at her, gently, until she lay on his body as he caught his breath.

"I didn't deserve that…" He panted.

"Shhh…" She murmured back, kissing him to stop his words.

"Let me love you…" He begged, cupping her face.

She nodded, his hands bringing her back to her throbbing, buzzing awareness she'd had only moments before and she straddled him, his large, hot hands burning her as he caressed her hips as she rocked them against his body.

Her hair spilled down, over his chest as she leaned forward to kiss his mouth, his neck, even his chest. Her hands gripped his shoulders until her body couldn't prolong the moment of her crescendo anymore and she clenched him over and over in her rhapsody. He caught her mouth, swallowed her cries, cupped her backside and held her tight to him in that second, so taken by her beauty, her reaction to him that he couldn't hold back.

"I'm yours, beautiful." He announced, shocking her. Not once had she heard him say that before. Guys didn't usually, it wasn't something she expected but it was just what she needed to hear.

"You better believe it, Wildcat," she agreed, a possessive smile curling her lips.


	14. Epilogue

**Lady G! Yay :D You're still here. And you're the only one who pointed that out about ch 7/8 bahahaha. Oh it's my age!**

**And apologies to the rating for T and it should have been higher. I will change it now ;)**

**Thanks for comments everyone, I am not sure what to post next, maybe 'Hiding'.**

**I'm not happy with this epilogue but I couldn't get it quite right :/**

**EPILOGUE**

"Oh my gosh, I'm having one of _everything,_" Gabi gasped as she ran into Henri's shop, Troy following reluctantly behind.

"Henri!" She called excitedly as she saw the owner and ran over to hug her. "You have to meet Troy." She said, bringing her boyfriend into the greeting.

"Nice to meet you, Troy." Henri smiled, shaking his hand.

"You too." He grinned back bemusedly.

"Where's your dad?" Henri asked knowingly and Gabi beamed.

"Just coming. He's locking the truck or something…" She explained.

Taking Troy home to her father's had taken some bargaining, but after much persuasion- and offers of working for him for the week- their respective parents had finally agreed that Daniel could be trusted with two teenagers.

Daniel himself had been a little growly around Troy at first, especially when he had walked in on them in her room and they were kissing.

But Troy had been assigned his own room and they had agreed to adhere to her father's house rules, just grateful to be allowed away together.

He appeared through the door then, eyeing his daughter as she stood girlishly before Henri, her small hand linked with Troy's and for the first time since she'd come home, he felt a smile cross his face.

At first he hadn't been happy about the idea of the pair of them staying with him together but when he saw them in moments like this, he realised their relationship went deeper than the kissing he had mostly observed.

"Dad!" Gabi called as he came in, hiding the bunch of deep red roses behind him.

"I'm coming…" He beamed, smiling as Gabi scampered up and hugged him and then dragged Troy off to look at clothes. He noted Troy's wry eyebrow arch and again considered how patient he must be to manage his daughter's mood swings.

"I got these for you." He said to Henri, handing her the flowers.

Henri blushed, lifting her face. "You remembered." She said, touched.

"Of course." He said softly back, peeking over his shoulder to make sure Gabi was distracted before he leaned down to kiss Henri.

"I still remember that day…" She said, speaking of the first day they met and his token to the anniversary of that date.

"Me, too. I remember you told me you wouldn't put up with any baloney on the price of fixing your car. Something about cowboys thinking girls didn't know a car part from a bowl of fruit…" He mused.

Henri giggled. "Yeah, I was a little strong…" She allowed.

"Will you come for dinner?" He asked gently.

Henri peeked at Gabi and Gabi quickly turned her head, her curls swinging where Troy trained them back.

"Will she mind?" She asked carefully.

"Mind? God, she wouldn't shut up about it. I actually think she'll disown me if you say no…" He teased.

Henri tipped her head, her long hair reaching further down her arm.

"Okay, thank you. I'd love to…" She smiled.

"I have to warn you though, I have a house full of teenagers; Tom's coming too with Tammi." He pressed his lips together.

"Wow, that's a lot of young people." She teased.

"I know." He rolled his eyes. "I swear, she'll be the death of me." He mused of his child.

"It's good for you; I can see how happy you are when she's here." Henri allowed.

"Then I'll let her know you're coming?" He checked. "Don't worry I don't expect you to babysit or anything."

"Count me in. I'll bring dessert." She offered and he stepped away, joining Gabi and Troy.

"Gabi, Henri will be joining us tonight." He said straight off and Gabi squealed and hugged him.

"Oh awesome! I'm gonna straighten my hair to match." She smiled to herself.

"Um, sure, okay." He smiled quizzically.

"Don't ask…" Troy commented and Gabi swiped him.

"Hey, how about we leave you girls to….shop or whatever and I take Troy to the hardware store with me?" He asked Gabi and Gabi pouted, leaning on Troy's jeans pockets.

"You wanna go do boy things?" She asked.

He smiled, lofting his eyes toward Daniel.

"Can I?" He asked.

Gabi kissed him quickly. "Sure, see you later." She said and the men left the store.

"I am so glad your coming for dinner. I hope you and dad get married." Gabi enthused to Henri as she tried on dresses, finding a dark brown cotton button up shirt dress.

"Err, thank you." Henri said, smiling as she helped Gabi choose some outfits.

"Do you think Troy would like this?" She asked as she pulled out an animal print vest.

"Do you like it?" Henri asked back and Gabi smiled.

"I do." She approved.

"Then it's yours. I have some great leggings that would go with that top, too." Henri enticed.

"Ooh, I've never worn leggings…" Gabi said thoughtfully. "What shoes?"

"Your heels or some ballerina's?" Henri suggested.

Gabi nodded. "I'm glad you and dad are talking. I like having a sister."

"A sister!?" Henri laughed. "Well, there's a compliment."

"Well, I feel like I can talk to you about stuff I can't talk to anyone else about." Gabi admitted.

"Like Troy?" Henri lifted her eyes.

Gabi blushed. "I guess so…but about my dad, too."

"Is everything ok?" Henri asked worriedly.

"It's getting to be." Gabi admitted. "But for a while it wasn't."

Henri nodded. "You seem to have had a lot of obstacles. Both with your dad and Troy."

"Yeah, it sure seems that way." She agreed with a roll of her eyes.

"Do you know what you need?" Henri asked, her pretty eyes glinting.

Gabi shook her head in such a youthful way that Henri felt protective over her for a second. She touched her small arm gently.

"A new outfit for tonight." Henri answered knowingly and Gabi's eyes lifted hopefully.

"I think that might help." Gabi agreed, her smile returning as they sifted through the racks again. Maybe Henri was right. Things were amazing with Troy; they just needed a little more time to get back to how things were.

--

It was a noisy, boisterous dinner and Troy was grateful for the peace and quiet as he sat in the large lounge chair and Gabi joined him, curling into his lap and resting her legs over the arm.

She was wearing an all-in-one playsuit, black, and button up and soft. Her hair was raised in her waterfall ponytail and her large gold hoops pressed into him as she leant against his body. He liked her visits to the boutique he thought with a smile, trailing his fingers up her thigh slowly, his smile widening as she shifted and he splayed his hand there, answering her silent plea.

"Wow, quiet." He joked as they cuddled.

"Yeah, it's nice." She agreed, twisting to kiss him a little.

"Do you two ever not kiss?" Daniel wondered as he wandered in, catching them again.

Gabi blushed as she tried to climb from Troy's lap; realising there wasn't much point now so she sat back and smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry dad." She said dutifully.

He smiled, watching them, seeing Troy's fearful look.

"I guess I'll get used to it." He said. "Listen, do you two wanna go upstairs to your room, Gabi?" He asked, rubbing his neck.

Gabi shot him a look. "Why?" She wondered curiously.

"Me and Henri were gonna watch a DVD, if that's cool with you guys…" He hedged.

Gabi grinned at Troy, then at her father.

"I think we can manage that." She offered.

"Good. I expect you to go back to your room at curfew…" Daniel warned Troy and Troy nodded as Gabi stood.

"Yes-sir."

--

It was gone 1am when Henri left and Daniel crept upstairs to check on his teenagers.

He stood in the doorway of Gabi's room, shoulder on the doorjamb as he considered what to do.

They had of course, fallen asleep in Gabi's bed together.

Troy was cuddling her so tenderly, his lips against her hair as his head tipped onto hers and her head was in the crook of his neck.

What surprised him most was that they were both fully dressed with the door wide open and he didn't have the heart to move them.

He smiled to himself as he shifted off the doorjamb and wondered if that's why Julia was so relaxed about them sleeping together; seeing as they both clearly loved each other.

He moved off to his own room, closing her door gently.

--

"Are you awake?" Gabi murmured into the dark.

"Mmm." Troy approved.

"Do you…do you still fancy me?" Gabi ventured, feeling him shift a little.

"Hey…" His husky voice was concerned as he rolled onto his side, reaching for the lamp to turn on the light. He brushed her hair down the side of her face. "Of course I do, what brought this on?"

"Because we haven't…for ages." She bit her lip.

"Because I thought you wanted to take it slow…" He said, kissing her nose.

"I want to touch you…" She breathed, letting her hands run up under his t-shirt where she felt the familiar play of muscles.

His grin was the most amazing thing she had seen. "Does this mean I get to touch your butt?" He asked knowingly, leaning down to kiss her.

"Absolutely." She replied with a giggle as he rolled her beneath him and trapped her with his hard body.

He nuzzled her nose, kissed her above her eyebrow. "I love you, you know that, right?" He begged.

She nodded, gripping his t-shirt on his chest. "I know. I love you, too." She responded softly, lifting her face for his kiss, enjoying the moments that followed as they slowly peeled off their layers and hard muscled body met soft, curved body.

Their bodies joined and it felt like their first time; all over again. She would never get used to this feeling; how he created another version of herself when his hands ignited her desire so easily. It was all worth it, just to have this with him. To have it all with him.

She felt it, so clearly, and whispered it to him as he rested above her momentarily before rolling to one side and taking her with him in a cuddle.

"I love you, too." He murmured back again, smiling softly.

--

Wrapped up in his arms, encased with his body and his love, Gabi watched the sun rise outside her room, knowing that everything was going to be okay.

It might have been a long journey, it might have been tough at times and would be again, but they did it. They made it.

And as she snuggled into Troy a little more, she knew that this was a love worth fighting for.


End file.
